“Shoreditchwifi.com is working on the behalf of BT and Fon to give away free wireless routers called La Fonera+, that plug in to your ISP (internet box) at home or at work and are Free for anybody who lives or works in Shoreditch until the product launches UK wide at the end of October,” a spokeswoman for the launch said.

The promotion is limited to 1,000 Wi-Fi routers, which will be delivered in Shoreditch this summer.

“This is a project to create a Free Wi-Fi area for Shoreditch, so that local businesses and residents can share their Wi-Fi with their neighbours and surf the internet for free,” the website says.

The Fon service allows users who have signed up to share their internet connection to access other people’s Wi-Fi when they are in range.

That gives them free access in other areas of Shoreditch, but also in hundreds of thousands of Wi-Fi hotspots around the UK and the world.

BT said it was hoping to have 100 per cent coverage in Shoreditch by the October launch date.