AI infrastructure is now central to Britain’s economic ambition. On 8 June 2026, the Prime Minister used London Tech Week to set out a bold vision for Britain’s role in artificial intelligence. The speech included a new strategy to develop sovereign compute capability, a commitment of around £400 million to purchase specialist AI chips, and plans to scale the government’s AI compute testbed into a national capability.
That ambition should be welcomed. Britain should want to be a serious player in AI. It should back innovators, attract investment, build sovereign capability and ensure that the benefits of technology are felt well beyond the usual centres of influence.
But one line in the speech stood out to me above all others: “What matters is whether Britain is ready for it.”
That is exactly the right question, because readiness is not only about AI models, chips, data centres, skills programmes or investment capital. It is also about the practical, everyday infrastructure that allows digital innovation to work in the real world.
Because the AI economy will not exist only in laboratories, government departments or controlled test environments. It will exist in railway stations, airports, hotels, hospitals, museums, visitor attractions, trade shows, conference centres, high streets, city centres, factories, schools and small businesses. It will exist wherever people actually live, work, travel, meet and trade.
That is where the less glamorous question of connectivity becomes so important.
Anyone who has exhibited at a major trade show will recognise the issue. You arrive with your devices, screens, apps, payment systems, presentations and live demonstrations ready to go. Then thousands of people gather under one roof, all using phones, tablets, laptops, scanners, messaging tools, cloud platforms and digital sales systems at the same time. Suddenly, the thing everyone depends on becomes the thing no one can fully rely on.
This is not usually the fault of one venue or one organiser. Many major venues have invested heavily in digital infrastructure, and event organisers know perfectly well how critical connectivity has become. The challenge is broader than that. The demands being placed on public, private and venue-based networks are rising faster than the lived experience of reliability.
And this is not just a trade show problem. It is a business problem.
It affects payments. It affects ticketing. It affects live translation. It affects visitor information. It affects logistics. It affects customer service. It affects productivity. It affects how confidently businesses can demonstrate, sell and deliver technology in front of customers.
In tourism and the visitor economy, this matters enormously. The future of the sector will be shaped by digital tickets, dynamic itinerary tools, AI-assisted guidance, multilingual content, real-time information, smart crowd management, mobile payments, location-aware services and personalised visitor experiences. But all of these depend on one very basic assumption: that people can stay connected when and where it matters.
The same is true on the move. Ofcom’s recent research into rail connectivity found that mobile performance was poor on between 58% and 83% of tests carried out on trains, depending on the network. On-board Wi-Fi performed well in only 1% of tests. For anyone who regularly travels by train and tries to work, join a call, send a file or simply stay connected, this will not come as a great surprise.
The wider picture is more balanced. Ofcom’s Spring 2026 Connected Nations update shows real progress. Full fibre is now available to 82% of UK homes, gigabit-capable broadband reaches 89%, and 5G coverage continues to expand. Overall 5G coverage outside premises now ranges from 76% to 94% by mobile network operator.
So the point is not that nothing is happening. Clearly, investment is being made and progress is visible.
The point is that coverage statistics and real-world confidence are not always the same thing.
A map may show coverage. A contract may promise speed. A phone may display a 5G symbol. But the practical question for businesses and consumers is simpler: does it work reliably when I need it?
That question matters more than ever because the direction of travel is clear. We are moving towards an economy in which more services are digital by default, more experiences are app-enabled, more business tools are cloud-based, and more innovation depends on real-time access to data.
AI will only intensify that dependency.
If Britain wants to lead in AI, it must also lead in the practical infrastructure that allows AI to be used. That means mobile networks that work properly in crowded places. It means better connectivity on trains. It means resilient Wi-Fi in venues. It means better indoor coverage in large buildings. It means planning systems that allow essential telecoms infrastructure to be upgraded at pace.
It also means landlords, developers, operators, local authorities, government and telecoms companies treating connectivity as economic infrastructure, not as a nice-to-have utility.
Ofcom has called for a national effort involving mobile companies, local authorities, government, building developers, major landlords and Ofcom itself to improve the quality and reliability of mobile service across the country. That joined-up approach is exactly what is needed.
The phasing out of older networks adds to the urgency. Ofcom says 3G mobile networks are now switched off, while 2G networks are gradually being switched off and will be switched off by 2033 at the latest. That transition may be necessary, but it also raises the stakes for dependable 4G and 5G coverage.
AI ambition is exciting. It should be welcomed. But the real test will not be whether Britain can make bold announcements about the future. It will be whether businesses, workers, visitors and consumers can feel the benefit of that future in everyday life.
The next generation of technology will not succeed on ambition alone. It will succeed when the foundations beneath it are strong enough to support it.
So yes, let us invest in AI. Let us back British innovators. Let us build sovereign capability. Let us train people for the jobs and opportunities ahead.
But let us also remember the simple, practical truth behind all of this.
The future only works if we can stay connected.
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