London to Introduce Europe's Largest Free Wi-Fi Zone

Getting online in London will be easier than ever, according to the BBC: Mobile operator O2 is to provide free internet to "millions" of residents and visitors in central London by launching Europe's largest free Wi-Fi zone.

The service will be rolled out across the boroughs of Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea in 2012, and will be powered by a system attached to lamp-posts and other existing structures on London's streets. The project should be completed by March.

In this respect, London is catching up with other major cities: Paris already has several hundred individual Wi-Fi zones in public parks and municipal spaces, and New York has installed wireless internet access at several of its subway stations.