Residents, employees and visitors to the City of London will soon be able to use a new world-class wireless network as proposals to expand free WiFi and improve mobile coverage across the Square Mile have been given the green light.

A new network will replace the free WiFi service by the Cloud. State-of-the-art equipment will provide gigabit speeds and allow users to enjoy high bandwidth services like video on demand over free City WiFi for the first time.

London's broadband is notoriously bad. The combination of the Square Mile’s tall buildings and narrow, historic streets mean that mobile service has been unreliable and slow for the 400,000 City workers and 10 million yearly visitors. The new technology will enhance coverage, making working on-the-go easier.

Over 400 ‘small cells,’ which will be built in the coming months, will boost the strength and reliability of the current wireless coverage by using street objects like lampposts, street signs, buildings and CCTV columns.

The project is the single largest investment in wireless infrastructure ever in London and will be rolled out in late spring 2017, and could bring a flurry of new development as retailers and offices seize on the improved connectivity.

The new service will pave the way for easier adoption of 5G technology, which is expected to be launched by the end of this decade. In this year’s Autumn Statement, the Chancellor promised £740M for 5G trials, which is vital to support emerging technologies like augmented reality and the Internet of Things.