EG LONDON FORUMLONDON


Simon Francis, European regional director, Nokia Occupiers in London are pretty well connected to the modern telecoms network, reckons Simon


Francis, European regional director at Nokia. “When you are out and about there is usually a signal available in Starbucks and Virgin is now rolling out WiFi across the tube.” But even a telecoms occupier isn’t immune from the odd connectivity problem. Nokia moved into its new headquarters


at Paddington last year and Francis admits: “We are having to put boosters in because we have signal blackspots, and obviously mobile communications are integral to our business.” Whether the introduction of 4G mobile broadband in the capital will improve the situation remains to be seen. While download speeds are, in theory, comparable to fibre connections, the issue of how far mobile signals will be able to permeate through London’s buildings is not yet known. In the meantime, says Francis, service


providers of fixed broadband connections need to improve their act. London may enjoy blisteringly fast fibre connections, but installation and servicing is not up to the same standard. Francis says: “Without fail there are delays on the part of the service providers and they really need to get a handle on that.”


EG


LONDON FORUM


IN ASSOCIATION WITH


The EG London Forum debates key topics affecting the capital each month. To watch the video specials, go to www.estatesgazette.com/eglondon


82 www.estatesgazette.com


As 4G mobile telephony is rolled out in London this year, is the capital’s telecoms infrastructure at world-city standard? Reporting by Mark Simmons


Capital WHAT DO THE REST OF EG’S LONDON FORUM THINK?


Jo Valentine, chief executive, London First Fast, reliable communications services are an important


status.


component of London’s world-city Consumers spend £5bn each year on


fixed and mobile broadband connections in the UK and smartphone penetration is one of the highest worldwide. Recent research has shown that UK average broadband speeds are broadly in line with those in the US and Germany, but slower than places such as South Korea and Japan, which have previously benefited from direct government subsidy. The roll-out of superfast broadband


across London and the launch of fourth generation (4G) mobile services will bring significant benefits to businesses and consumers. We must now make sure that deployment of these new services is not hobbled by planning processes, which can prevent and delay the installation or renewal of essential infrastructure.


James Saunders, chief operating officer, Quintain 4G is an important initiative for London, but in many ways it is just keeping up with


development in other major capital cities. The key will be to have consistent upgraded mobile coverage over all parts of London as soon as possible. It took many years to achieve this with 3G and blackspots still exist. All networks currently use WiFi hotspots to


supplement high-speed coverage and this is likely to persist. Aside from mobile, London has high-speed networks for commercial buildings, but still has insufficient fibre entering the home. Residents in Asian cities have had 100mbps networks for years now and London lags behind most of Europe in this regard.


Dan Bayley, central London managing director, BNP Paribas Real Estate The capital’s telecoms


infrastructure can be broken


down into two areas, fixed and mobile. With regards to fixed, there is strong competition between service providers, all competing in terms of service levels. This has meant that whether in the office or at home, you can sign up to a service that gives you a good fixed experience, from broadband to voice telephony, that matches other leading cities, subject to the price plan you opt for. In terms of mobile, operators are


still competing on price rather than quality, which has led to inconsistent network coverage in London. Consumers have come to accept this service, but more could be done to improve this in the future to ensure London keeps up with the rest of the world. However, the real testament of London’s telecoms infrastructure is the large demand from TMT companies to locate to the capital, with Amazon being the most recent global leader to secure space for its global technology hub.


11 May 2013


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