Mayor takes further action to improve mobile phone signal for Londoners

• New analysis highlights London's progress and also identifies where mobile networks fall short and where improvements are most needed

• City Hall introduces the Capital Connectivity Standard, placing London at the forefront of a new approach to measuring mobile connectivity

• Ten practical actions will help boroughs support better mobile connectivity, including making council buildings and land available for network equipment

• Work builds on the Mayor's Connected London programme, record investment in fibre infrastructure and the landmark rollout of 4G and 5G on the Tube

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced new action to help improve mobile phone connectivity across the capital, publishing a report of where networks are falling short alongside practical steps boroughs can take to support improvements.

A new framework sets out ten actions boroughs can take to support better connectivity, while a new report and interactive map show how mobile performance varies across London, helping boroughs, mobile operators and infrastructure providers identify where action is most needed.

The work builds on the Mayor's Connected London programme, established in 2017 to improve access to reliable fibre broadband, mobile connectivity and public Wi-Fi. Since then, the Mayor has worked with boroughs and industry to support the expansion of full-fibre broadband, launched a £30 million investment in fibre infrastructure upgrading public assets from copper such as libraries and CCTV columns, and introduced London Plan policies requiring new developments to provide full-fibre connections and meet demand for mobile connectivity.

Through TfL's partnership with Boldyn Networks, 4G and 5G coverage is being delivered across the London Underground network, including in tunnels between stations. Coverage across the oldest and most complicated Tube network in the world has now reached 70 per cent and is on track to be completed by the end of the year.

Delivering connectivity across London's 160-year-old Tube network is one of the most complex infrastructure projects of its kind anywhere in the world. Independent analysis by Ookla® found that London is now among the world's leading cities for underground 5G adoption, demonstrating the Mayor's commitment to ensure Londoners can stay connected while travelling, and moving the capital from one of the world's most high-profile transport mobile not-spots to a global leader in next-generation connectivity. While many international cities introduced underground mobile coverage years earlier, London's Tube network was built 5G-ready from the outset.

The partnership is also improving connectivity above ground. Boldyn has enabled the majority of TfL's 80,000 street assets, including lampposts and bus shelters, to support future mobile infrastructure, helping mobile operators boost network capacity in some of London's busiest locations.

Despite the huge progress made under Sadiq's mayoralty, some Londoners still experience weak signals and slow or unreliable connections. Demand for mobile data continues to grow, and even where coverage is available, busy networks can struggle to deliver the performance people need. Installing and upgrading equipment requires suitable sites and agreements with landowners, while new development can mean existing equipment needs to be relocated.

Mobile operators are responsible for investing in, building and running their networks. The Mayor does not directly control their network coverage or investment decisions, but can help address barriers to improvements through planning policy, access to TfL assets and coordination between boroughs, landowners, developers and industry.

Today's announcement will support that work by giving partners a clearer picture of mobile performance and practical guidance on how to improve it.

Reliable digital connectivity is vital to London's economy and everyday life, helping Londoners work, access services and stay connected, while supporting businesses across the capital.

The new London Mobile Connectivity Evidence Report, developed with support from connectivity data experts Ookla®, looks beyond traditional coverage measures to assess download speed, upload speed, signal strength and latency - the time it takes a network to respond. This provides a more complete picture of Londoners' experience of mobile services and helps identify where further investigation and improvements are needed. The approach delivers a blueprint for other cities seeking to measure connectivity based on real-world performance rather than coverage alone.

Key findings include:

1. Slow network response times can contribute to delays and lag when using services such as video calls and maps
2. Mobile performance varies depending on both the network people use and their location, with the availability of mobile infrastructure helping to shape the quality of service.
3. Areas of inner north and east London experience weaker signals, with Camden, Islington, Hackney and Tower Hamlets recording weaker signal strength than the City of London, Kensington and Chelsea, Newham, Lambeth, and Hammersmith and Fulham.

The report introduces the Capital Connectivity Standard, a new benchmark designed to assess whether mobile performance meets the needs of a busy global city. It builds on Ofcom's existing 'Successful' baseline to provide a more demanding measure of connectivity and help partners identify where further action is needed.

The pioneering new London Mobile Connectivity Framework sets out ten practical actions boroughs can take to support improvements. These include appointing a dedicated mobile connectivity officer, identifying council-owned buildings and land that could host mobile network equipment, and ensuring plans for major developments consider mobile connectivity from the outset.

The new Interactive London Mobile Connectivity Map, developed by City Hall's City Intelligence Unit, allows users to explore mobile performance by location, including download speeds and signal strength.

Together, the report, standard, framework and map will help boroughs and industry target their efforts more effectively, building on the Mayor's work to improve digital connectivity and support Londoners and businesses across the capital.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "Reliable mobile signal is essential to everyday life in London, whether you're working, running a business or keeping in touch with family and friends. Although huge progress has been made, many Londoners still experience frustrating gaps in service.

"This new evidence and map will help us understand where improvements are needed and work with boroughs and mobile operators to deliver better connectivity, building a fairer and more prosperous London for everyone."

Theo Blackwell MBE, Chief Digital Officer for London, said: "London is a thriving global city and it is essential that our digital infrastructure can support our needs, now and in the future.

"We've developed a range of practical tools to support better digital infrastructure - and mobile connectivity has improved immensely thanks to the work of the Mayor's Connected London programme

"However, there is still more to do. Understanding the quality of mobile signals has been too opaque for too long. These groundbreaking new tools will provide us with an in-depth look at the connectivity challenges we're facing across London, giving us the evidence we need to target investment in the right areas and improve digital connectivity for Londoners."

Sabina Wallington, VP of Sales, Europe, Ookla®, said: "A city can only plan for the connectivity it can measure. Through this partnership, Ookla has given the Greater London Authority an unprecedented, city-scale evidence base. By combining controlled street-level testing from RootMetrics with Speedtest real-world crowdsourced data across both iOS and Android, and indoor coverage data, gathered while networks were carrying real load, we're looking past bare-minimum coverage. We are measuring how networks actually perform under real demand-the standard a leading global capital requires, and adding to a wider shift in UK policy towards judging networks on how they hold up under demand as well as where they reach. London is pioneering this approach globally, and we've built it to be a blueprint for cities worldwide."

Gareth Elliott, Director of Policy and Communications at Mobile UK, commenting on the London Mobile Connectivity Framework said: "Mobile UK welcomes the London Mobile Connectivity Framework, a vital step toward treating mobile, part of our critical national infrastructure, with the same urgency as power or transport. We particularly back City Hall's focus on removing planning red tape, opening up public assets, and directly confronting the disruptive impact of Notices to Quit. Our industry is ready to work hand-in-hand with the GLA and boroughs to deliver the real-world capacity Londoners rely on."