- Free Wi-Fi service for millions of commuters and visitors from summer 2012
- News comes as Yammer Inc confirm their first Developer Centre outside the US to be based in Shoreditch
The Mayor today confirmed that Londoners will be able to use Wi-Fi to access mobile internet services at Tube stations for the first time from June. A contract has been awarded to Virgin Media to provide public access Wi-Fi at up to 120 Tube station platforms at zero cost to the fare or taxpayer.
The news comes as the leading provider of enterprise social networks Yammer Inc confirmed that they are to open their first developer centre outside the US, in Shoreditch and have plans to increase their workforce in London to over 130 people across all divisions.
The new Wi-Fi service will launch as a free, unlimited service for all Tube passengers this summer and will continue to offer free live TfL travel information via a new online portal after this period.
Virgin Media, in partnership with London Underground, will initially introduce Wi-Fi at over 80 stations. By the end of 2012, up to 120 Tube stations, many of them deep-level, will be connected. From June 2012, all Tube passengers will be able to connect to the internet at stations for free, enabling millions of commuters and visitors to access websites and online destinations and stay up-to-date with news and events listings, review the best spots for lunch and discover great London attractions from their mobile phones, tablets, laptops and other connected devices. Following this period, Wi-Fi at Tube stations will be made available as part of Virgin Media’s broadband and mobile subscriptions and all Tube passengers will be able to stay up-to-date with travel information thanks to the free online portal. Full Internet access via Wi-Fi will become available via Pay-As-You-Go and other commercial models.
London's digital and hi-tech sector is expected to account for a third of capital’s growth over the next two decades with London already home to more ICT and software companies than any other European city. The Mayor today welcomed the announcement by US-based Yammer Inc, provider of enterprise social networks, that it has chosen London over New York as the location for its first developer centre outside the States, reflecting the fact that almost 40 per cent of their global user-base is in Europe.
The capital's fledgling digital firms also got a boost today, with the announcement that White Horse Capital has secured backing for a £35m Accelerator Fund help digital start-ups in London over the next five years. This money will support the work already going on at their Accelerator Academy, supported by the Mayor, to train, mentor and provide investment for innovative start-ups and early stage tech firms.
Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said: “It's vital that we harness the massive opportunities stemming from the digital revolution, by creating a vibrant, world class industry to attract investment and create jobs for Londoners. Millions of passengers will now be able to connect to their work, friends or access the latest news and travel information whilst on the move. This is a fabulous new and free resource which will be in place from this summer when London is being showcased on a global stage and playing host to millions.”Gareth Powell, LU’s Director of Strategy and Service Development, said: “We’re upgrading the Tube to make it fit for the 21st Century. This latest innovation is great news for Tube customers, who now have access to emails, web and social media underground for the first time. It’s also delivered at no cost to fare payers and taxpayers.“Today, TfL provides a wealth of free live travel information, via our website and through the many excellent travel apps now available. Wi-Fi on the Tube means our customers can now get the latest live travel information and check how services are running, on the move and underground, where and when they need it.”Neil Berkett, CEO, Virgin Media, said: “With the eyes of the world on London this summer, we’ll be showing off our capital as a leading connected city on the global stage. We’re putting the power of Virgin Media’s fibre optic network in the hands of millions of Londoners, commuters and visitors and are delighted to be launching Wi-Fi for free throughout summer 2012. We’ll help people make the most of the city and will continue to evolve the service, ensuring everyone can benefit from a service London will be proud of.”
Georg Ell, General Manager of Yammer EMEA, said: “London is the perfect choice for us due to the large talent pool we can draw on in the UK and from across Europe from engineers, developers and customer facing teams. We’re focused on hiring very talented and committed people to grow our high performing culture focused on just two things: building a great product that people love to use, and a relentless focus on customer success. London is the ideal place to do that, and we’ve had tremendous support from all involved in the Tech City initiative, especially London and Partners, to support our growth."
Ian Merricks, Accelerator Academy Co-founder and White Horse Capital Managing Partner, said: “We entered the early stage entrepreneurial ecosystem last year, creating the Accelerator Academy for emerging entrepreneurs. WE saw the growth potential of London’s tech entrepreneurs and working with investors we now hope to deploy £35m to help these firms grow.”
Notes to editors
- Internet access at stations is in response to positive feedback LU received from customers that Wi-Fi at stations is something that they find useful and can help make their journeys more pleasant.
- Wi-Fi at stations will mean frontline staff can help customers face to face on platforms with live travel information. This will be of great benefit to the four million people that use the Tube a day.
- The cost of providing Wi-Fi at stations is covered by the commercial contract that has been awarded to Virgin Media.
- Providing Wi-Fi at stations is one way of ensuring passengers have constant access to travel information. TfL’s digital strategy makes its data available to developers to create apps which can be used on smart phones.
- Tech City is home to technology, digital and creative companies. From the original Silicon Roundabout, an entrepreneurial cluster has grown up around Shoreditch and Old Street in East London, extending to Stratford. It offers opportunities for innovative businesses of all sizes, from start-ups to multinationals, from UK, Europe and beyond. The Mayor is determined to support its development as one of Europe's leading hubs for businesses exploiting the digital and creative markets
- London & Partners is the official promotional organisation for London. We attract and deliver value to business, students and visitors. London & Partners is a not-for-profit organisation, funded by the Mayor of London and a network of commercial partners. Their remit is to drive leisure and business visitors as well as bidding to secure major events in London, to unlock the city for overseas businesses who want to set up or expand in London and to promote the capital’s world class universities to international students. There intention is to work in partnership with organisations in London and across the world to deliver our goal - that London be globally recognised as the best big city on earth. For more information visit www.londonandpartners.com
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