back to article Bankers to get 1Gbps free Wi-Fi in City of London deal

Bankers are to enjoy free 1Gbps Wi-Fi thanks to a deal brokered by the City of London Corporation intended to bring high speeds to the Square Mile. The multimillion-pound project is one of the largest investments in wireless infrastructure ever seen in London, said the local authority responsible for governing the City. Under …

  1. Kay Burley ate my hamster

    Question

    If it's 4G how do you connect? Wouldn't this require a SIM?

    1. Down not across

      Re: Question

      If it's 4G how do you connect? Wouldn't this require a SIM?

      Err...with your phone? Yes you would have your normal SIM in it.

      I presume, since the article says joint venture between Vodafone and Telefonica, that coverage for Vodafone and O2 should be very good. Users of other operators are unlikely to see benefit unless they start offering domestic roaming.

  2. TRT Silver badge

    Is that

    WiFi or 4G? Or both?

    1. Down not across

      Re: Is that

      CTIL will build 4G mobile small cells, which will be housed in lampposts, street signs, buildings and CCTV columns to provide enhanced mobile coverage at street level, as well as installing a Wi-Fi network which will be free for the public to use.

      The article suggests both.

      1. Test Man

        Re: Is that

        It's probably both in the exact same way it is for buses/coaches and trains - on those they are commonly 3/4G connections (with embedded SIMs) just to bring the connection to the vehicle, but people connect to it via wifi. Obviously it has to be 3/4G, because it's not as if a vehicle can be wired up to an exchange.

        It's the same with smart meters - how do you think they connect to the energy companies? Via embedded 3/4G SIM. Same with some traffic lights.

        So I can see it being the same for this - lots of 4G cells not for customers to use (obv) but as the backhaul - to bring the connection to the area, but users connect via wifi.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I rather like it ..

    .. that they plan to make war driving easier in the one place that could yield a fat profit for criminals.

    Well done. I feel safer already. It's a good thing the majority of that lot is moving out.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    London-centric. Perks for bankers

    What's the next "fuck you button" to press after Brexit?

    1. Hollerithevo

      Re: London-centric. Perks for bankers

      Presumably, the foxes and badgers moving into the wind-swept, empty streets of the City, once the bankers have all relocated to the Benelux Corridor, will enjoy tip-top connectivity.

      1. Johndoe132

        Re: London-centric. Perks for bankers

        Yes, the City will be desolate after all those hundreds (possibly thousands if you believe the Daily Fail) of jobs move abroad to set up brass plate branches which give the parent company the exact same passporting rights as they have currently from the UK. Actually, most major banks already have branches in at least one European country which they can use, so its just a little shuffling of the cards and all is well. The financial centres of the world are London and New York, and that will remain the case for a long time to come because the supporting industries and regulatory environment to make it otherwise is a long time in the making.

        1. Random Handle

          Re: London-centric. Perks for bankers

          >Yes, the City will be desolate after all those hundreds (possibly thousands if you believe the Daily Fail)

          HSBC & UBS are relocating 2000 jobs to Paris currently - that's them assuming the best case scenario.

  5. Your alien overlord - fear me

    Has Google just sold all of their wi-fi mesh units? If not, it seems a wasted opportunity.

    Or it might not be using wi-fi (or giving you 1Gbps even).

  6. W Donelson

    Of course, after Brexit they wont need it.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Meanwhile, out here in the sticks, we can barely get 3mbps wired connections. Bastards.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      3Mbps? Jammy bastard.

  8. Tom Chiverton 1

    Money talks...

  9. Steve Medway

    Once upon a time in the square mile all the traders were all given blackberrys to make them work while out of the office as well as in, and at home, and on the train... but there was a slight issue....

    The trouble was they could still use the 'no signal' excuse while in the pub (although they're trying to ban lunchtime drinkypoo's these days too).

    After this 'wonderful' development they won't have beer (or more likely champagne) at lunch and have no connectivity excuses.

    I would feel sorry for them but they're all bastards earning a squillion times more than most of us Reg. readers even in well paid I.T. jobs.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Bit of a slap in the face to Buzby...

    ...given that BT Centre is slap bang in the middle of that area.

  11. FuzzyWuzzys

    Oooh so close....cue Brexit whinge

    Shame that according to the anti-Brexit camp the City will be cleared of all the financial service companies so what's the point of this?!

    Seriously, I do love how the anti-Brexiters all seem to believe that the day after we "divorce" Europe the City of London will somehow become a ghosttown. There'll be ex-bankers in tattered rags, huddling around braziers and begging for coins. All the buildings will be boarded with "For Sale" signs festooned like so much Xmas bunting.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Facepalm

      Re: Oooh so close....cue Brexit whinge

      Don't say things like that, you're getting my hopes up....

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Oooh so close....cue Brexit whinge

      Don't forget that it is YOUR taxes that will be funding their Dole. Oh wait, the country will be bankrupt so no dole or benefits for anyone.

      Me? I'm off to Kiwiland. Ma is from Otago so I have family there.

  12. tedleaf

    Nice,now we all know exactly which part of the network to attack,and it won't be to difficult,not if vodafuck have something to do with it..

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    All this because one of them ran out of coke and hookers as they couldn't get a signal.

    1. Tromos
      Joke

      "ran out of coke and hookers"

      Typical spoilt banker. Anyone else would settle for Pepsi and a prop forward.

  14. Zog_but_not_the_first
    Facepalm

    Just evesdropping...

    I'm in the Porsche. No, I said I'm in the Porsche. IN THE BLOODY PORSCHE. CHRIST!

  15. Moosh
    Facepalm

    As a "Banker" who actually works as a test analyst at a pension company, and earning the 99th percentile income sum of a princely £34k a year, I can only light up a cigar, heartily chuckle, and burn another £50 note.

    This article was biased from the very start. "8000 people" living there, as if its ENTIRELY for those who live there. Then of course it goes on to admit its also available to the 400k people, such as myself, who actually work there. And then also elaborates that it will also be available to the 10 million tourists who visit there yearly.

    So what this actually is, is just a public access wifi system that's been twisted in this article to be presented as some sort of anti-proletariat brain microwaving device.

    1. TRT Silver badge

      The proletariat have brains?

      1. Jay 2

        No, they outsource them to their phones. Which will be fed (dis)information of what to think via this new zippy WiFi...

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