In its most recent session, the Growth Commission turned to digital and tech, recognising that fast, reliable connectivity and the adoption of advanced technologies are now fundamental to London’s competitiveness and the Government’s wider growth ambitions. Digital infrastructure underpins each of the capital’s major growth sectors, yet the systems required to install, upgrade, and power those networks are increasingly defined by bottlenecks that risk holding the city back.
One of the clearest barriers sits within the planning system. Digital deployment across London is not constrained by technological capability but by unpredictable and uneven planning decisions. Similar proposals can meet rejection in one borough and straightforward approval in another, creating delays, additional costs, and pockets of the city where connectivity falls short of the needs of businesses, residents, and visitors. This inconsistency slows the roll‑out of next‑generation connectivity and weakens London’s ability to remain productive and resilient.
Energy costs create a second structural challenge. Digital networks are always on, yet the charging structures they face assume energy use can be shifted away from peak times. The levies attached to energy bills therefore fall disproportionately on essential networks that cannot change their operating patterns. While other sectors benefit from targeted relief, these mechanisms rarely consider the needs of digital infrastructure. And even where environmental levies are intended to support a shift to cleaner energy, operators do not receive relief when they actually use clean energy – a misalignment that works against both sustainability and competitiveness. For a city aiming to support the growth of AI, real‑time applications, and data‑intensive services, this misalignment discourages investment in the capacity London will require.
Regulation adds further friction. The rules governing connectivity were designed for an earlier phase of the internet and no longer match the demands of modern digital services. As the economy becomes more dependent on high‑performance data flows and AI‑enabled tools, outdated regulatory frameworks risk constraining innovation rather than enabling it. A more adaptable approach is needed to allow differentiated, high‑reliability services to develop.
Alongside these system‑level issues, the meeting also reflected on the people and skills needed to make digital growth possible. London’s long‑term competitiveness depends not only on physical infrastructure but on the talent capable of building, managing, and using it. Gaps remain in engineering, computing, and digital specialisms, alongside ongoing challenges around participation and diversity. Even where the solutions sit beyond this specific workstream, acknowledging these pressures is essential to understanding London’s broader digital readiness.
Taken together, the insights from the latest meeting point to a city with significant digital potential that is still under‑leveraged. The obstacles are not inevitable; they reflect systems and frameworks that have failed to keep pace with the needs of a modern, high‑growth, digitally driven economy. Greater consistency in planning, more proportionate energy approaches for essential networks, and updated regulation would give London the foundations required to support future growth.
The work now moves toward shaping these findings into practical, deliverable recommendations. The aim is not simply to tidy up individual points of friction, but to build a more coherent and forward-looking approach to digital infrastructure – one that positions London to compete, innovate, and grow with confidence in the years ahead.