In 2021, BAI Communications won a contract to deploy a 4G network in the London Underground by the end of 2024
Vodafone UK and Virgin Media O2 will use a neutral host mobile network on the London Underground rail system to provide 4G coverage to its customers. Now, riders who are customers of all four major U.K. operators can now access 4G services during their commutes, as BT-owned EE and CK Hutchison’s 3 UK proclaimed their involvement last year.
BAI Communications won a contract in 2021 to deploy the underground network by the end of 2024. While currently offering 4G services, the completed network will be 5G-ready and will have involved 2,000km of cabling. BAI Communications CEO Billy D’Arcy previously estimated that the company will invest about £1 billion on the rail system — and similar London projects — throughout the contract’s 20-year timeline.
When the contract was revealed, the majority of the underground system had no mobile connectivity, with parts of the Jubilee Line being the exception as they had 4G thanks to a trial deployment. Wi-Fi is also available on several platforms, thanks to a 2012 deployment by Virgin Media.
In addition to providing cellular coverage for commuters, the network will support the UK’s Emergency Services Network (ESN). The emergency network is depends on EE’s 4G network and is designed to assist first responders particularly in challenging and hard-to-reach locations, into which a category the London Underground certainly falls.
“This will make a huge difference to passengers, allowing them to make calls, read emails and check travel information while on the move,” commented London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan in 2021. “Investing in London’s connectivity and digital infrastructure is one important way we are helping to stimulate our city’s economy. It also represents a significant step towards ensuring the whole tube network has 5G-ready mobile coverage.”
