Westminster is the most connected borough in London

Newly-released data from the Connected Nations 2020 has found that Westminster is now the most connected borough in London with over half of its total premises able to access full-fibre broadband.

A significant number of properties in Westminster now have access to full fibre connectivity with an availability rate of 56.1 per cent. The rate is even higher amongst council owned properties with full fibre being available in 65 per cent of the properties.

Westminster has succeeded in dramatically increasing the number of properties with full fibre availability and over the last five years, Westminster has gone from being one of the worst connected areas to the best in London.

The incredible achievement is in line with Westminster City Council’s City for All commitment to deliver full fibre connectivity to all council properties by the end of 2021.

The council has worked continuously to roll out high-speed broadband across the city, helping residents, businesses, and services to stay connected as easily as possible, and with the impacts of Covid-19 moving much of the city online, access to the internet is more essential than it has ever been.

This successful roll out of high-speed internet will not only help to support local businesses, learning and training, but will also ensure that the people of Westminster can stay connected with friends, family, and loved ones when it is of the upmost importance.  

Cllr Paul Swaddle, Westminster City Council Member for Finance and Smart City, said: 

“Over the past few years, we have enabled fibre broadband deployment quicker than anywhere in London. Westminster has gone from near the bottom of the broadband league tables to now the most connected borough in the capital, which is an outstanding achievement. I’m proud to say that as part of the Connect Westminster initiative, we have been able to ensure more businesses have connectivity and have supplied our most vulnerable families with laptops to assist with education, work, and groceries.”

Cllr Matthew Green, Cabinet Member for Business, Licensing and Planning, said: 

“In the current climate, it’s more important than ever that businesses in Westminster have strong and effective internet access, allowing them to continue to trade and connect with their customers online. It’s therefore a timely achievement that the city council has managed to roll out high-speed fibre broadband at such an incredible rate, transforming the area into the most connected borough in London. This vastly improved infrastructure will ensure that speedy connectivity remains a staple for the thousands of businesses across the city, as working, learning, and shopping continues to drive online even after the Covid-19 pandemic has passed.”