O2 picks Cisco for superfast gigabit WiFi in the City

Mobile network operator O2 confirmed a major step forward in its rollout of gigabit-WiFi in the City of London on Wednesday, selecting Cisco for its project.

The Telefonica-owned company announced plans for the network in April, claiming it would provide people in the Square Mile with WiFi speeds more than 12 times faster than the fastest ‘fibre’ home broadband plans provided on BT’s Openreach network, for free.

O2 was working with Cornerstone Telecommunication Infrastructure and the City of London Corporation, as well as Cisco, to deliver the project.

It was reportedly designed to rival the free connections available in other global financial centres, such as the Wall Street area of New York City and the free public WiFi available in Singapore.

“Free Wi-Fi connectivity is now a prerequisite for any city looking to drive innovation and compete on a global scale,” said Cisco senior vice president and global service provider for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Russia, Peter Karlstromer.

“The deployment with O2, and with CTIL and the City of London, is a perfect example of the role that cities can play in connecting people.

“We are excited to continue to support the roll out of free Wi-Fi across London and ensure that next generation connectivity is accessible to everyone.”

O2 chief operating officer Derek McManus said the network operator was “pleased to be working with Cisco to support the initiative.

“[Cisco’s] robust, speedy and seamless technology [will] create a Wi-Fi network and enable the capital to retain its position as a leading global centre.

“Continued investment in infrastructure is essential to maintain the UK’s reputation as a digital leader and we needed a partner that would be able to provide cutting-edge technology to help us realise this.”

Consumer advocates welcomed the news, with Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at utilities comparison website uSwitch, noting that the announcement came just a week after a piece of research showed a large disparity in broadband speeds across the capital - particularly in the Square Mile.

“O2’s announcement comes as fantastic news for data-heavy mobile users working in the City, and, if launched as planned, should be in full operation by Autumn 2017, replacing the current service provided by The Cloud.

"This should also please tourists visiting landmarks such as St Paul’s Cathedral, the Royal Exchange and the Monument, alleviating worries of sky-high data roaming charges,” Doku said.

His welcoming of the announcement came with a caveat, however, suggesting broadband and mobile providers still needed to ensure their core service was up to scratch - even while providing additional services such as free WiFi.

“While it’s great that this free WiFi will improve connectivity in well-documented coverage black spots, mobile networks and broadband providers alike must stay focused on delivering reliable speeds and service to paying customers across the capital and the country as a whole.”