BAI Communications confirmed a major step forward today in giving us 4G across the tube, announcing that service would soon be coming to five major stations. These stations include Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, and Camden Town and service should hit them within the next six months.
More sections of the Tube are expected to go live by the summer of 2023. Among them will be many stations across the City and in the West End.
But they didn’t stop there, also announcing that “Customers of all four mobile network operators – Three, EE, Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 – will be able to access high-speed 4G and 5G-ready mobile connectivity across the Tube, including within the tunnels“. The announcement finds Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 customers finally joining the likes of EE and Three service users in having access to the service.
Mayor Sadiq Khan has had this as a top priority over the past few years. By the end of 2024, the entire Tube network will boast 4G connectivity, finally removing the last refuge from that fun avalanche of beeps, alerts, and notifications that now plague our lives.
The pilot programme began in 2020, after a pandemic-enforced delay. The stretch of Jubilee line from Westminster to Canning Town was the first to connect commuters across tunnels, platforms, and ticket halls.
How is it happening?
Communications giant BAI Communications received a twenty-year contract to help run 4G and 5G on the line, with the end of 2024 set as the date for ‘Total 4G‘. In the meantime, ancient incantations and other heretofore banned magic of the night will bring this dark technological wizardry deep beneath the ground.
Mayor Sadiq Khan said:
“Improving the capital’s connectivity and digital infrastructure is central to London’s economic recovery from the pandemic, so I am delighted that Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 customers will now have access to high-speed mobile coverage when travelling on the Tube.
“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 – and I have no doubt that this will transform journeys for millions of passengers.”
In any event, this spells doom for those of who used tube journeys for important tasks. You know, like reading a book, or staring aimlessly at the floor. Say hello to refreshing Instagram, Tik Tok, and Twitter on repeat for another 25 – 30 minutes! Hey, at least with us all gazing into our screens, it’ll be easier than ever to avoid eye contact…