EE also noted it will soon be delivering 4G and 5G at other London Underground stations
U.K. mobile operator EE, which is part of the BT Group, has already deployed 5G connectivity at 18 stations on the London Underground, the operator said in a release.
The telco said that following a recent deployment, Central line customers at both Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road stations can now benefit from access to the EE’s 5G network, with coverage available within the ticket halls, on the Central line platforms and within the tunnel between the two stations.
EE said that these two stations are the first in London’s iconic West End to benefit from mobile coverage and follow launches of 4G and 5G coverage at a number of stations on both the Central and Northern Lines in recent months.
EE also noted it will soon be delivering 4G and 5G at other London Underground stations – with a number, such as Euston, Goodge Street, Chancery Lane and Bank, expected to go live for the Northern and Central lines throughout the coming weeks.
EE explained that the service is provided in partnership with Boldyn Networks, whose multi-carrier network connects London Underground’s stations and tunnels. EE’s mobile network connects to this infrastructure via base stations from Nokia’s AirScale radio access portfolio.
Boldyn Networks holds a 20-year concession deal with Transport for London (TfL) to build the 4G infrastructure and make it available to mobile operators. Local telcos Three UK, EE and Vodafone have all signed contracts to harness this infrastructure,
Greg McCall, chief networks officer at the BT Group, said: “Bringing EE’s 4G and 5G to Underground stations in London’s West End is a significant milestone as we continue to connect previously unreachable parts of the city’s transport system.”
EE had previously announced its 5G network has already reached 60% population coverage in the country. EE initially launched 5G technology in London, Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff, Birmingham and Manchester in 2019. Other large cities in which the telco offers 5G coverage includes Bristol, Covently, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield and Sunderland.
To reach its current 5G coverage, EE used its 700 MHz 5G spectrum to offer indoor and wider rural coverage. EE secured 2×10 megahertz of paired frequency spectrum in the 700 MHz band at a cost of £280 million (currently $349 million); 20 megahertz of supplementary downlink spectrum in the 700 MHz band at a cost of £4 million; and 40 megahertz in the 3.6-3.8 GHz band for £168 million.
In September 2022, EE said it was deploying ultra-lightweight radio technology supplied by Ericsson with the aim of improving 5G energy efficiency and network performance across its footprint.
Last year, EE claimed to be the first European network to successfully aggregate a 5G signal using seven different spectrum carriers.
