Three to offer free Wi-Fi to customers on the London Underground

Tube

Mobile operator Three has confirmed it will allow users to access free Wi-Fi on the London Underground, thanks to a new deal it's struck with Virgin Media.

Three users will join the likes of Vodafone, O2 and EE who have been able to access Wi-Fi services via Virgin Media's network on the Tube for some time now.

The service was installed by Virgin Media ahead of the 2012 London Olympics and now covers 137 stations on the tube in ticket halls, corridors and platforms.

Before this announcement, Three customers who wanted to use the Wi-Fi underground had to pay 2 per day for the privilege.

Three's director of customer strategy Danny Dixon said: "Giving our customers access to free Wi-Fi on the London underground is another step towards them being able to enjoy the benefits of being connected no matter where they are.

"Our customers will also have the added benefit of being able to use our new Three InTouch app, which means they will be able to surf the web, as well as make and receive calls and texts when they are in Wi-Fi enabled London tube stations."

Joe Lathan, director of broadband at Virgin Media, said every major network operator was now signed up to its Wi-Fi network on the London Underground at no extra cost to their customers.

"Our unique fibre optic network has enabled us to bring connectivity to even the deepest Tube stations and we're looking forward to getting even more parts of the capital online next week," he said.

The Wi-Fi network will expand by seven stations at the end of the month. These are: Shepherds Bush; Bow Road; Ealing Broadway; Edgware Road (Bakerloo line); Hammersmith (Hammersmith and City line); Harrow-on-the-Hill and West Brompton.

However, free access is still not available to customers of virtual networks such as GiffGaff, TalkTalk Mobile and Tesco Mobile.

Three is also in talks with Carphone Warehouse to enable the retail giant to run its own-branded network in the UK. Talks are said to be in an advanced stage, according to reports from the Financial Times.

Rene Millman

Rene Millman is a freelance writer and broadcaster who covers cybersecurity, AI, IoT, and the cloud. He also works as a contributing analyst at GigaOm and has previously worked as an analyst for Gartner covering the infrastructure market. He has made numerous television appearances to give his views and expertise on technology trends and companies that affect and shape our lives. You can follow Rene Millman on Twitter.