Mayor proposes London-wide wifi access

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, has backed plans to create a wireless network stretching over the capital, allowing Londoners to use the internet via wifi for free.

Speaking in response to Prime Minister Gordon Brown's proposal to give £300m to lower-income families to allow them to buy computers and broadband, the Mayor told BBC London he wanted to create a "wifi city".

"I certainly think there is a case for dealing with people who are information technology-poor, and trying to help people get online,"

"What we need is a city where anywhere you go, you can log on, you can get on the web," Mr Johnson said.

"They've done it in other parts of the world; why on earth can't we do it?"

Currently, companies such as The Cloud offer citywide wifi access in a number of locations across Europe including Amsterdam, Stuttgart and London. Manchester and San Francisco are among several cities that have discussed the possibility of offering free of charge wifi access to their residents.