Square Mile blanketed in WiFi

The City of London will from next week become the UK's largest WiFi zone.

The financial district will be blanketed by a giant wireless internet cloud by commercial WiFi enabler The Cloud.

The service, which will cost £11.99 per month, is targeted at consumers and local municipal staff. It relies on mesh wireless technology embedded in lampposts, street signs and other furniture.

Some 350,000 people work in the Square Mile. The network will initially stretch from the City to Soho and will be powered by around 150 interlinked base stations.

The Cloud said it would be largest single wireless internet network in Europe.

Last month, Global Reach turned a 22km stretch of the Thames into a giant WiFi walkway, allowing both private individuals and local public authorities to exchange data along the riverside.