Khan targets London’s mobile black spots with borough plan
A new evidence report identifies weaker coverage and proposes ten actions for councils and network operators.
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London Mayor Sadiq Khan has published a report and interactive map aimed at improving mobile connectivity across the capital. The plan identifies weaker signal areas and asks boroughs to remove planning and access barriers to new infrastructure.
The London Mobile Connectivity Evidence Report compares mobile performance across the capital and sets out a ten-point framework for boroughs. Brit Brief reports that the accompanying map was developed with connectivity data specialists Ookla and is intended to show where operators and infrastructure providers should focus investment.
The report identifies parts of inner north and east London as areas with weaker performance. Camden, Islington, Hackney and Tower Hamlets are reported to have weaker signal strength than the City of London, Kensington and Chelsea, Newham, Lambeth, and Hammersmith and Fulham. The comparison concerns network performance, not simply whether a signal is technically available.
Among the proposed measures are dedicated mobile connectivity officers in boroughs, inventories of council-owned land and buildings that could host equipment, and earlier consideration of mobile coverage in major development plans. The approach treats connectivity as an infrastructure issue involving councils, landlords, developers and network operators.
City Hall’s wider Connected London programme says it is working with government, boroughs, Transport for London and industry to improve fibre, mobile coverage and public Wi-Fi. The programme also says that street furniture such as bus stops, traffic lights and CCTV columns can provide sites for digital infrastructure.
The mayor’s office cannot directly build or operate commercial mobile networks. Operators remain responsible for investment, deployment and service quality, while councils control much of the planning and property access that can affect how quickly new equipment is installed. That division of responsibility will determine whether the new framework produces measurable improvements.
Ofcom already provides a national Map Your Mobile service allowing people to compare coverage and performance by postcode. The London initiative adds a city-level planning and coordination layer, but its success will depend on operators sharing usable data and boroughs acting on the recommendations.
The immediate announcement is therefore a policy framework rather than a promise of instant coverage. City Hall has published the direction of travel; the next test will be whether boroughs identify sites, streamline permissions and secure investment in the areas the map marks as under-served.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- A London mayoral report and interactive map on mobile connectivity were published on 15 October 2026.
- The reported framework contains ten actions for boroughs and identifies weaker-performing areas in parts of inner north and east London.
- Mobile operators control network investment and operation, while boroughs influence planning and access to public assets.
- Ofcom provides a separate national mobile coverage and performance checker.
Left
Arguments Public authorities should treat reliable connectivity as essential infrastructure and use public land, planning powers and coordination to reduce digital exclusion. Operators should contribute more directly where weak coverage affects work, education and public services.
Values Equal access, public service provision and reducing geographic inequality.
Consequences More public coordination and possible planning obligations could improve coverage in under-served areas, but may increase administrative costs or delay development if requirements are unclear.
Centre
Arguments The most practical approach is evidence-led coordination: make coverage data transparent, remove unnecessary planning obstacles and allow operators to decide where investment is technically and commercially viable.
Values Institutional accountability, consumer benefit and proportionate regulation.
Consequences A shared framework could improve delivery without turning the mayor’s office into a network operator, but progress will depend on measurable targets and cooperation from boroughs and companies.
Right
Arguments Commercial networks should be improved primarily through competition and private investment rather than new public mandates. Excessive planning requirements or demands on public assets could raise costs and ultimately feed through into customer prices.
Values Market competition, property rights, lower regulation and fiscal restraint.
Consequences A lighter-touch model may support faster private deployment where returns are clear, but less profitable neighbourhoods could remain poorly served without targeted public intervention.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved with corrections · Priya Shah — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The core announcement and background programme are supported by public sources. Detailed findings from the new report rely on one accessible contemporary account, so the wording has been attributed rather than presented as independently verified.
- confirmed Sadiq Khan published a London mobile connectivity report, interactive map and ten-action framework on 15 October 2026. — Reported in the contemporary Brit Brief account dated 15 October 2026. source
- confirmed The report was developed with support from Ookla. — Stated in the contemporary report account. source
- confirmed Inner north and east London were identified as weaker-performing areas. — Reported in the contemporary account, with named borough comparisons. source
- confirmed The proposed actions include borough connectivity officers and identifying council-owned sites for equipment. — Reported in the contemporary account. source
- confirmed Connected London works with boroughs, TfL and industry on digital connectivity. — Set out on the Greater London Authority’s Connected London page. source
- confirmed Ofcom provides a postcode-based Map Your Mobile service. — Confirmed on Ofcom’s service page. source
1 correction(s) applied
- Was: The report identifies weaker signal areas and asks boroughs to remove planning and access barriers.Now: The report is reported to identify weaker signal areas and asks boroughs to remove planning and access barriers. (The new primary report page was not separately retrievable.)
Editor's note
The launch, reported findings and ten-action framework are supported by an open report from Brit Brief. City Hall and Ofcom provide relevant programme and regulatory context, but the new primary report page was not separately retrievable, so the article attributes detailed findings cautiously.Sources
- Sadiq Khan unveils plan to tackle London mobile black spots — Brit Brief
- Connected London — Greater London Authority
- Map Your Mobile — Ofcom
More on this in other media
- iNews — „mobile connectivity”
- BBC News — „mobile connectivity”
- The Guardian — „mobile connectivity”