Councils in London have awarded £47m from the capital’s pilot business rates retention scheme to eight digital infrastructure projects.
The retention scheme allows London authorities to keep the growth in business rates collected this year.
Projects receiving funding include: installing fast fiber-optic broadband connections in strategic locations, investing in digital-enabled work-spaces, establishing an internet-of-things platform to gather data relevant to councils and developing an open data standard for planning applications.
Greater London Authority chief digital officer, Theo Blackwell, said: “Our work together sets solid foundations for future 5G technologies in London, which will create new jobs and make London a smarter city.”
