After Three and EE, Vodafone and O2 are also deploying 4G and 5G based mobile services across the entire London Underground. The carriers have partnered up with BAI Communications that has been awarded a 20-year telecoms concession with Transport for London (TFL).
According to the plan, customers will be able to access full mobile and internet connectivity within every London Underground station and tunnel. The first five stations to receive 4G connectivity will be Camden Town, Euston, Bank, Oxford Circus, and Tottenham Court Road from December 2022.
With uninterrupted connectivity, users will be able to check the latest travel information, keep on top of their emails and the latest news, catch up on social media, watch videos, or make a quick call throughout their journey.
The tunnels will also host a new high-capacity fiber optic network across London. This will be used to provide full fiber connectivity across the city. Lighting columns and bus stops will host a network of small mobile transmitters that will bring city-wide connectivity improvement for 5G.
TFL says that for this project, more than 2,000 km (approx. 1242 miles) of cabling will be installed. In addition to benefiting customers, the network will host the Home Office"s new Emergency Service Network that will help the police, fire, and emergency response services.
TFL"s partnership with BAI will help the former generate additional revenue across the 20-year lifespan of the contract.
Source: ISPreview