London Underground to have mobile phone coverage by 2019
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has committed to eradicating “not spots” on the London Underground by installing complete mobile connectivity.
Khan made this pledge as he announced the formation of a “Not Spot Team” that will assist local authorities to increase the reliability of broadband services throughout the city. He noted that unreliable and slow broadband service was still a big problem in London, a city that has about 200,000 people employed by more than 40,000 digital businesses.
The new Elizabeth line from Heathrow to Reading will have full mobile coverage when it begins service in December 2018. Passengers on this new Underground route will have complete access to the Internet, emails and apps in the tunnels. Currently, the services offered by all four mobile operators in the UK allow their customers to access Wi-Fi on the London Underground, but access is only available on the platforms and stations, not in the tunnels.
Khan said; “London is now a leading global tech hub, with thriving start-ups alongside major companies like Facebook, Amazon and Google.
“But our digital connectivity needs to be improved – Internet connectivity is now a key public utility, and it is no surprise that some businesses see poor connectivity as a barrier to growth.
“If we are to remain competitive in the global economy, we need to ensure every Londoner is able to access a fast and reliable digital connection.
“That means working to boost connectivity across London – tackling not spots, delivering connectivity in the London Underground and working with local authorities to provide digital infrastructure fitting of a global tech hub.”