The Internet is now considered the fourth utility and if we are to remain competitive in the global economy and bolster our reputation as the greatest city on earth we need to ensure every Londoner is able to access the very best digital connectivity

Whilst London leads Europe in much of its broadband connectivity there are still concerns – slow and unreliable broadband is a common complaint from some high-tech businesses in the capital – and the Mayor’s Office believe a shift from basic broadband to superfast could boost London’s economy by around £4bn by 2024.

On 16th September 2014 the Mayor convened London’s first ever ‘Connectivity Summit’, which saw internet providers, boroughs, businesses and meet to

In order to inform the summit, the Mayor needed a clearer picture of the state of connectivity across London. Using postcode data available from Ofcom, combined with GIS information about the locations of properties, we were able to more accurately map the availability of superfast broadband, and identify some of the key problem areas. While there are limits to what this map can tell us, as Ofcom only collects information from a small number of large providers, the map provided useful context to push forward the discussion on the availability of affordable superfast connections across the capital.

Later this year the Mayor will be launching the Connectivity Rating scheme, with the aim of encouraging developers and building owners to improve the connectivity of their properties.

We hope to work with a broad spectrum of internet providers in future to build upon this work and seek to better inform Londoners about superfast internet connectivity levels, and improve the availability of affordable superfast connections for all.