A Borough library has become the first in Southwark to get free and fast fibre-optic broadband for all of its users.
The John Harvard library on Borough High Street now has free ultra-fast broadband, following a council partnership with internet provider Community Fibre.
The Wi-Fi network now boasts a 1 Gigabit per second connection, meaning films and books and websites can be downloaded in seconds.
The Gigabit connection is said to be fastest available in the UK.
Cllr Stephanie Cryan, cabinet member for housing and modernisation, said: “With the internet becoming ever more central to people’s lives, from watching TV to paying your bills, it is more important than ever that our residents have access to high-quality, fast and reliable broadband so they can take full advantage of the digital revolution.
“We are pleased to be working with Community Fibre to not only get broadband into people’s homes but to places they go to use the internet – like our libraries.”
The partnership is part of the Council’s Digital Infrastructure Programme to roll out full-fibre broadband across the borough.
Jeremy Chelot, Community Fibre’s Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to have worked on this project with Southwark Council.
“Thousands of people in the UK live in Broadband Poverty. Community Fibre’s mission is to remove Broadband Poverty by ensuring people have a local facility, such as the library, where they can access full-fibre broadband for free.
“We’re confident that once they realise the opportunities that full-fibre broadband offers they will also want a connection in their own home.”
Around 1,136 people use the library to access the internet a month, council data shows.