https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2023/december/mayor-heralds-first-elizabeth-line-stations-to-get-high-speed-mobile-coverage

High-speed mobile coverage is now available on the busiest Elizabeth line
platforms, escalators and tickets halls at Bond Street, Tottenham Court
Road, Farringdon and Liverpool Street - with more stations connected in the
coming months.

Customers on the Elizabeth line received an early Christmas present this
morning as four central London stations received mobile coverage for the
first time.

The four stations - Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon and
Liverpool Street - are some of the busiest in Central London and all now
have mobile coverage in the ticket halls, connecting corridors and
platforms for the Elizabeth line. The introduction at Tottenham Court Road
also means that the whole station now has mobile coverage, with work to
expand coverage to the Central line, and then onto the Jubilee line at Bond
Street taking place throughout 2024.

The introduction of high-speed mobile coverage means that customers can
stay better connected as they travel to and from the West End to shop, meet
friends and visit the area's theatres, restaurants and bars. 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
sections of the Jubilee, Northern and Central lines.

Providing uninterrupted mobile coverage also provides additional
reassurance to those travelling on the network, making it easier for
customers to stay in touch with friends and family while travelling. It
will also host the new Emergency Services Network (ESN), which when fully
operational, will give first responders immediate access to life-saving
data, images and information in live situations and emergencies on the
frontline.

TfL and Boldyn Networks* will be working throughout Christmas and the early
New Year to expand the coverage to further stations on the Elizabeth line,
as well as to the tunnelled sections. Recent progress means that Boldyn
Networks can now deliver 4G and 5G coverage to the tunnelled sections,
rather than just 4G coverage as previously announced. By the end of spring
2024, the whole of the 73 miles of the Elizabeth line from Reading and
Heathrow to Shenfield and Abbey Wood via the West End, will have mobile
coverage.

In recent months, further sections of the Tube have also been provided with
4G and 5G coverage, which is now available between Holland Park and
Queensway as well as between Bond Street and Chancery Lane on the Central
line and also between Belsize Park, Archway and Tottenham Court Road on the
Northern line. Currently around 20 per cent of Tube stations with platforms
that are underground, and therefore usually unable to get a mobile signal,
now have mobile coverage. When combined with sections of the Tube which are
above ground, this means that around two thirds of the whole network has
mobile coverage.

By the end of spring 2024, the first stations on the Bakerloo, Victoria and
Piccadilly line will have mobile coverage in stations and within tunnels in
central London, meaning that around 40 stations with platforms that are
underground, and therefore usually unable to get a mobile signal, as well
as connecting tunnels, will have mobile coverage.

Boldyn Networks is also progressing work to bring mobile coverage to the
southern end of the Northern line, with the first sections going live
during summer 24, and more widely across Central London, with a significant
proportion of the entire Tube network (around 80 per cent of stations
across the network) and the Elizabeth line, having mobile coverage by the
end of 2024.

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said: "I am delighted to see the promise I
made of delivering 4G and 5G across our transport network continuing to
progress, with four busy Elizabeth line stations - Bond Street, Tottenham
Court Road, Farringdon and Liverpool Street joining an ever-growing network
of lines and stations with full connectivity.

"The new mobile coverage at these stations will be a major boost for those
travelling around London - connecting key business centres and some of the
popular parts of Central London and the West End. It will help Londoners
and visitors to the capital to better navigate the capital and stay
connected underground. Growing numbers of underground Tube stations now
have 4G and 5G services, with many more to come as we continue to build a
better London for everyone."

Andy Lord, London's Transport Commissioner, said: "I'm delighted that the
first stations on the Elizabeth line now have high-quality mobile coverage.
This is a vital project for London, allowing customers to be more connected
underground and get the latest travel information and news, as well as stay
in contact with work, friends and families while travelling on our network.
Our engineers will be working closely with Boldyn Networks over Christmas
and throughout 2024 to expand coverage to more stations and tunnels across
London, and we remain committed to having a significant proportion of the
entire Tube network connected by the end of 2024."

Billy D'Arcy, CEO of UK & Ireland at Boldyn Networks, said: "Our work with
TfL across the transport network has rapidly accelerated this year and we
are excited to announce this further expansion of high-speed mobile
connectivity ahead of the festive period. This is another important
milestone in our mission to deploy a new digital infrastructure across
London that connects businesses and people, and helps to make the city a
safer and smarter place to live, work and travel."

Dee Corsi, Chief Executive of the New West End Company said: "In today's
world, an uninterrupted connection is an expected part of any visitor
experience, and we are thrilled that visitors to the West End can now enjoy
nearly full coverage at both Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street stations.

During the busy festive season in particular, the ability to seamlessly
chart a route from shop to shop, book a last-minute table or coordinate a
meeting point with friends and family using mobile coverage underground
will be a welcome benefit. And the best part is, upon leaving the station,
visitors can continue to save their data by jumping on our super-fast, free
street Wi-Fi."

The project is being implemented by Boldyn Networks, one of the world's
leading neutral host network providers, who was awarded a 20-year
concession by TfL in June 2021 to deliver high speed, 5G-ready mobile
connectivity across the entire London Underground network. Boldyn Networks,
formerly BAI Communications, is installing a fibre backbone across the
capital to improve connectivity both above and below ground, bringing wide
reaching socio-economic benefits to local businesses and communities.

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.

In message <um1982$12fi4$1@dont-email.me>, at 11:57:54 on Thu, 21 Dec
2023, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:

>Customers on the Elizabeth line received an early Christmas present this
>morning as four central London stations received mobile coverage for the
>first time.

Apart of course from 1992/3 when they had mobile coverage on the Rabbit
network. Or maybe later with coverage via Wifi-calling on Virgin
hotspots (although I never did get them working at all).
--
Roland Perry