Three joins London Underground Wi-Fi
Three joins EE, O2 and Vodafone with all UK's major mobile phone networks now online on the London Underground
Every mobile phone company is now hooked up to Virgin Media’s London Underground Wi-Fi service, with Three the final arrival. The news means there is now no escape from Tweets, WhatsApp messages and spam emails at over 137 Tube stations, with more being added all the time.
Virgin Media said it was continually expanding the network, with 144 stations set to be online by next week. Coverage generally includes ticket halls, down escalators and on platforms in all stations hooked up to the network. Three said people using its InTouch app on the Tube would even be able to receive calls, with the voice traffic being routed through the Wi-Fi network. EE, O2 and Vodafone are already signed up to the Underground Wi-Fi network.
Launched in 2012 to coincide with the London Olympics, the Virgin Media Wi-Fi network started off as a free trial, before asking people to pay to get online. Deals with all the UK’s major mobile networks now mean it is possible for just about anyone to get online without needing to pay extra.
London’s Tube Wi-Fi network doesn’t currently extend into tunnels, nor does it let people connect to their network for voice, calls and mobile data in a conventional way.
Previously London Mayor Boris Johnson had hoped to install a full mobile phone network on the Tube network by 2012, but the plans were shelved for being too expensive and complex. City Hall still has ambitions to bring mobile phone signals to the Tube but at present no plans have been announced.