TfL has announced today that the eastern half of the Jubilee Line – serving several key Southwark stations – will have full 4G mobile phone access.
The pilot section covers all platforms and tunnels between Westminster and Canning Town, meaning commuters will be able to catch up on social media and read their emails during their journeys.
All EE, O2, Three UK and Vodafone customers should be able to get the signal from today, building on the free wifi that is currently offered on the platform.
Ticket halls and corridors in stations should also be covered – except for London Bridge and Waterloo where the signal is only available on the platform.
“This has been very complex work to install the necessary equipment to allow our customers to be able to get phone reception within our tunnels while keeping the stations open and operational,” said TfL’s chief techonology officer, Shashi Verma.
After the pilot section going live on the eastern half of the line, TfL says it will work to expand 4G to cover platforms and tunnels across the entire line by the end of the year.
It also hopes to award a contract to deliver mobile phone coverage across the whole Underground network in the summer so that other lines can get coverage from 2021.
“This milestone will enable Londoners and visitors to get online while travelling through tunnels and platforms, doing everything from watching videos and messaging friends to catching up on emails,” added Heidi Alexander, deputy mayor for transport.