Back in April we were told that London’s highest concentration of tech companies in the East – dubbed Tech City by the UK government – would be getting high speed mobile connectivity. Well, it turns out Carrier EE (the only with with a 4G network right now) is delivering, partnering with the Tech City Investment Organisation, and is switching on a network of “double-speed” 4G hotspots. However, there is more. EE opening up its network APIs to application developers in the area and will be providing business and mentoring support for Tech City start-ups.
Olaf Swantee, CEO at EE, says its 4G network has now surpassed New York City for mobile data speeds. Joanna Shields, CEO Tech City and UK Business Ambassador for Digital Industries, noted that this switch on will help startups “build, test, and develop the digital products and services of the future.”
The double-speed 4G will have headline speeds up to 80Mbps, and “average” speeds of 24-30Mbps. Previously 4G speeds in there area was were 19.4Mbps. In other words, if you want to test out apps build specifically for 4G networks, this is going to be the place to head. EE will also install 4G mobile W-Fi hotspots in parts of Tech City, giving free 4G access to Wi-Fi enabled devices.
But this won’t just be limited to London. Tech City and EE are also investgating rolling out similar programmes in Bath, Belfast, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Newry, Sheffield and Sunderland as part of its “national technology cluster alliance.”