High-speed connectivity across London Underground
All mobile network operators have now joined the planned high-speed mobile network across London Underground, following the addition of Vodafone and Virgin Media O2.
It means that users of Three, EE, Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 will be able to access high-speed 4G and 5G-ready mobile connectivity, with Transport for London saying that all stations and tunnels across the Tube network “remain on course to have high-quality and uninterrupted mobile coverage”.
The system, run by BAI Communications, will mean the availability of 4G in more stations (including Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road and Camden Town) in the next six months, with further sections of the Tube network going live by summer 2023 - including stations across the City and West End on the Central Line.
It follows the transfer of the pilot section on the eastern end of the Jubilee Line to BAI earlier this year.
Headquartered in Australia, BAI Communications has been majority-owned by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) since 2009. It was awarded a 20-year concession by TfL in June 2021 to deliver mobile connectivity on the Tube.
Once complete, customers will be able to make calls wherever they are on the Underground, check the latest travel information, keep on top of their emails, and catch up on social media and live stream videos, securing London’s transformation into a smart city.
BAI’s network will also host the new Emergency Services Network, which will give first responders immediate access to life-saving data, images and information in live situations and emergencies.
Mobile operators will also ensure continued and improved coverage via WiFi on LU and the Elizabeth line when the network transfers to BAI in April 2023.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “I committed to Londoners that I would deliver 4G throughout the Tube network as part of my determination to build a better London for everyone. I have no doubt this will transform journeys for millions of passengers.”