Glasgow's underground gets mobile service

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Glaswegians now have mobile phone service access on their underground commute – whether their fellow passengers like it or not.

The service, which launched at five stations yesterday, is exclusive to customers of mobile operator O2. It links O2 to the outside world using Arqiva’s transmission network.

Gordon Maclennan, assistant chief executive (operations) of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), said: "This is a real breakthrough for us as the new technology opens up new lines of communications."

Commuters will be able to make calls, access the internet and use other mobile services at platforms at Buchanan Street, St Enoch, Govan, Partick and Hillhead stations.

Derek McManus, O2's chief technology officer, said: “O2 continually strives to provide the best service for our customers, and today's launch marks a first for the UK."

Despite that claim from O2 that the Glaswegian subway system is the first in the UK to get signal underground, that honour appears to belong to Newcastle’s Tyne and Wear Metro system. Commuters there have had a signal below ground since 2004 – and on the O2 network, too.

A report last year suggested that while 80 per cent of London commuters would like such a system, some 65 per cent would find it annoying.

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