Introduction part of Mayor and TfL's commitment to bring mobile coverage to the whole Tube network - including the tunnels between stations.
- More stations and tunnelled sections, including Mornington Crescent, Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road due to be connected in the coming months
Customers using Camden Town station can now benefit from 4G and 5G mobile coverage as part of the wider project to bring high-speed mobile coverage to the entire Tube network
The project, which is being delivered for the Mayor of London and TfL by BAI Communications, will see high-speed mobile coverage provided within stations and tunnelled sections of the Tube network, allowing customers to get the latest travel information, access social media, check their emails, make calls, and stream videos while passing through the station.
All four mobile network operators - Three UK, EE, Vodafone, and Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) - are taking part in the rollout, which has already delivered 4G on the eastern section of the Jubilee line between Westminster and Canning Town, between Archway and Kentish Town on the Northern line and between Holland Park and Queensway on the Central line. The addition of 4G and 5G to Camden Town means that around ten per cent of Tube stations with platforms that are underground, and therefore usually unable to get a mobile signal, now have mobile coverage.
Within the next fortnight, customers at Mornington Crescent station will also benefit from high-speed mobile coverage. Mobile coverage within the Tube tunnels between Kentish Town, Camden Town and Mornington Crescent stations will become available to customers in the coming months. Later this summer, some of central London's busiest Tube stations, including Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road, will also get coverage for the first time, along with further stations along the Northern and Central lines, helping the millions of visitors who come to the West End every year to better navigate the capital, make reservations on the move and ensure they can share their experience of London with friends and family.
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said:
“I am delighted to see the promise I made of delivering 4G across the London Underground continuing to progress, with Camden Town joining an ever growing network of line and stations with full connectivity.
“Growing numbers of underground Tube stations now have 4G services, with many more to come as we continue to invest in London's digital infrastructure. By increasing connectivity across our capital we are helping to build a better, fairer and more prosperous London for everyone.”
Shashi Verma, Chief Technology Officer at TfL said:
“We're pleased that customers at Camden Town station can now get 4G and 5G on their phones within the station, as part of the next stage of our project with BAI Communications to bring high-speed mobile coverage to the whole Tube network. With Mornington Crescent station soon to follow in the coming weeks, this increased connectivity will allow customers to get the latest travel information, access social media, check their emails, make calls, and stream videos while passing through these stations.”
Billy D'Arcy, CEO of BAI Communications UK&I, said:
“We are delighted that more customers are now able to access high-speed mobile coverage while travelling on the Tube, as the rollout of our 4G and 5G network across the London Underground makes good progress. Our ability to transform the travelling experience of passengers continues, as we focus on connecting even more stations and line sections, that will provide the uninterrupted coverage needed to stay connected on journeys.”
Simon Pitkeathley, Chief Executive of Camden Town Unlimited, said:
“The growing use of mobile connectivity on the underground is such a boon to small businesses and London's productivity. That Camden Town is now looped into this evolving scheme will be of great benefit to Camden's business community and shows TfL leading the way in adoption of technology for all.”
For more information, please visit tfl.gov.uk/get-online
Notes to Editors:
Around 500 people are working overnight across the Tube network to install mobile equipment, with all works needed to be tidied away before the network opens for customers every morning.
Once fully delivered, more than 2,000 kilometres of cabling as well as thousands of radios are expected to be installed within tunnels and stations, all of which will be fitted outside of operational hours. Work is continuing across the network and TfL and BAI Communications expect a significant proportion of the Tube network, as well as the Elizabeth line, to have high speed mobile coverage by the end of 2024.
In June 2021, TfL awarded BAI a 20-year concession to deliver mobile connectivity on the Tube. BAI's work on the wider Connected London programme will also see the installation of digital infrastructure across the capital, forming a backbone of connectivity. A full-fibre network will connect to buildings and street assets, like traffic lights and lampposts, and leverage the power of 5G and the Internet of Things to drive forward London's ambition to become a truly smart city.