From today, Wednesday, 21st December, high-speed 4G and 5G mobile coverage is being rolled out to six more London Underground stations.
Between Holland Park and Queensway on the Central line, coverage will be available now, whilst between Kentish Town and Archway on the Northern line coverage will go live in the coming week. Coverage will be available in ticket halls and platforms, and in the tunnels between stations.
Whilst all four mobile network operators – Three UK, EE, Vodafone, and Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) – are taking part in the rollout, at first only EE and Vodafone customers will be able to access the improved coverage. Access for Three UK and VMO2 customers will come in the new year.
Underground stations where 4G and 5G mobile coverage is being rolled out are:
- Central line – Holland Park, Notting Hill Gate, Queensway;
- Northern line – Archway, Tufnell Park, Kentish Town;
Underground stations that already have mobile coverage with all four mobile operators are:
- Jubilee line – Westminster, Waterloo (Jubilee line only), Southwark, London Bridge (Jubilee line only), Bermondsey, Canada Water, Canary Wharf, North Greenwich.
The ultimate aim is to deploy high-speed mobile coverage across the entire Tube network, and connecting the six stations marks the next milestone in that plan.
With the eastern section of the Jubilee Line between Westminster and Canning Town, where 4G was introduced in April 2022, around ten per cent of Tube stations that have platforms underground, and are normally out of range of a mobile signal, will now be have 4G and 5G coverage.
To allow mobile coverage to start in the new year at some of London's busiest stations, including Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road and Camden Town, testing will take place at those stations during the festive period. By the end of 2024, all Tube stations and the Elizabeth line will be 4G and 5G-enabled.
The Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance, said: “Today marks a great step forward in the delivery of mobile connectivity on the Tube, as Londoners will now have increased access to high-speed mobile coverage when travelling through more Tube stations. The Mayor pledged to Londoners that he would deliver 4G throughout the Tube network as part of his commitment to building a better London for everyone – and I have no doubt that this expansion of coverage will help transform journeys for millions of passengers.”
Shashi Verma, Chief Technology Officer at TfL, said: “It's great that we have begun to introduce 4G mobile coverage to more stations, meaning that around ten per cent of our stations that are underground will shortly be connected. Progress on delivery is accelerating and together with BAI Communications and the mobile network operators we will connect many of London's busiest stations during 2023 – transforming experience for millions of our customers and helping them stay connected while shopping, visiting events and socialising with friends and family.”
Simon Pitkeathley, Chief Executive of Camden Town Unlimited, said: “As businesses search for increases in productivity, whilst wrestling with the hybrid world, we need connectivity at all times. This move to bring mobile coverage to the Tube is forward thinking and I, along with many regular Tube users, can't wait for more stations and tunnels to start getting coverage during 2023.”
