Tube to trial mobile phone use

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If a new trial goes as planned, being stuck on the tube will no longer be an excuse for not calling. London Underground (LU) has announced plans to trial mobile phone coverage in below-ground tube tunnels and stations.

The six-month trial, which will start April 2008, will test the extension of coverage on the Waterloo and City platforms at Bank and Waterloo stations, as well as in the tunnels between the stations.

"The below ground sections of the underground are one of the few places in London where you are unable to use a mobile phone," said Richard Parry, LU strategy and service development director. "The key aim of the trial is to conclude whether it is technically and commercially viable for coverage to be extended across the tube network."

The Waterloo and City line was chosen for the trial as it features deep tunnels which are not connected to the rest of the tunnel - ideal conditions for running such an experiment.

As over half of the tube system is actually above ground, passengers can already use their mobile phones across much of the network. If the trial is successful, LU will look into providing coverage through the underground tunnels as early as mid-2009.

In March 2005, LU announced it was looking for potential suppliers for coverage to start in mid-2008 on the basis that the tunnels would not be included. However, a feasibility study last year suggested that having thousands of phones coming in and out of signal as passengers moved through the tube system could overload mobile networks, so now tunnels will also have coverage.

LU said a survey conducted last month showed that 56 per cent of passengers would like to be able to use mobile phones and other devices in the underground network, including on trains and platforms. Another survey will be held during the trial to further gauge customers opinions on mobile usage on the tube.

Aside from mobile phone coverage, LU is also looking to implement DAB digital radio and internet access. Earlier this year, O2 Airwaves won a £115m contract to link emergency services' radio to LU's new system.

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