UK government workers test remote working

By Keith Weir

LONDON (Reuters) - Thousands of British civil servants will work from home or get on their bikes to the office this week as the government tests its plans to ease congestion on London's transport network during the Olympics.

The government is trying to encourage businesses to vary their working patterns during the July 27-August 12 Games to ease the strain on an already crowded public transport system.

However, government advice to business also warns of the risk of disruption to Internet services during the Games because of increased demand, potentially compromising home working.

"The Government wants to deliver a great 2012 Olympic Games and keep London and the UK moving at the same time - that's why we are currently encouraging businesses and commuters to plan ahead and consider their travel options," a Department for Transport spokesman said.

"This is about encouraging staff to reduce the impact of their travel by either walking or cycling, changing their route of travel to and from work, re-timing their working day to avoid the busiest periods or working from home," he added.

Working from home could prove an attractive option this week, with transport likely to be disrupted after the first major snowstorm of the winter hit London over the weekend.

However, come the summer, home workers could find themselves battling for bandwith with sports fans trying to follow the Games online.

As a consequence, businesses are being told to consult Internet Service Providers to check on the impact on services.

Government advice warns that some ISPs may introduce caps on data during peak times to spread the load and allow access for as many people as possible.

MWB Business Exchange, a company which specialises in supplying ready-made office space, has highlighted the issue as it seeks to tempt businesses to relocate temporarily from the busiest parts of central London.

"Traffic hotspots have received a lot of media coverage but we've heard very little about potential internet traffic problems," said Kathryn Hunt, who is head of Olympic operations for MWB Business Exchange,

"There's a major risk that home workers are unable to work effectively due to internet over-capacity and being out of the office environment for over a month," she added.

Londoners have been warned they face queues of up to 30 minutes on the "Tube" underground rail network at peak times during the Games.

Commuters have been advised to delay their journeys home by lingering in a pub for a beer or enjoying a meal out to soak up the atmosphere of what city officials are promoting as "A Summer Like No Other".

(Reporting by Keith Weir; editing by Martyn Herman)