Three UK has announced 4G upgrades to several Central London tube stations this week. The stations that have been connected include Paddington, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf, and Woolwich.
Commenting on the development, David Hennessy, Chief Technology Officer at Three UK, said:
“I am delighted that Three customers now have connectivity on the Elizabeth line. With coverage now in all stations along the route, our customers can access the latest travel information across ticket halls and platforms, as well as scroll on social media, check their emails, make calls, and stream videos whilst they’re on the move.”
If you’ve ever had the chance to visit London and take a ride on the Underground network you’ll probably have tried to decipher the Underground Map to get to your destination. This map is almost a century old now and many people have jumped to apps like Google Maps and CityMapper to get more straightforward directions but to use these you need internet connectivity and Three’s expansion will help provide this.
Three first announced that it would help to improve connectivity on the London Underground network in 2021 when it said it was joining the BAI Communications network with EE. Since then all of the major mobile networks have been expanding connectivity in stations to help turn London into a “truly smart city”.
Interestingly at the time of the announcement, the plan then was to have all of the Underground network connected by the end of 2024 so we’ve not long to wait to see if this comes to fruition.
According to the latest announcement, Three said the latest expansion means that customers can get high-speed coverage in 25% of the underground Tube network. This seems pretty far off the 100% it was aiming for back at the end of 2021; this tidbit of information could suggest that it will miss its earlier ambitious goal.
Source: Three