BT to test WiFi on London underground
10-29-2010 01:00 AM
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Fri, 2010-10-29 08:55
BT to test WiFi on London underground
BT to test WiFi on London underground
Source: The Financial Times
Londoners may finally be able to access wireless networks on the tube, if a pilot at Charing Cross underground station is successful.
Transport for London and BT’s six-month trial of WiFi on Northern and Bakerloo line platforms at the central London station will begin on Monday.
Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, has pledged to enable wireless access across the network by the 2012 Olympics.
But plans to put mobile phone networks on the London underground have faced severe delays due to high costs and the practical difficulties of a Victorian tunnel network.
BT’s WiFi will piggy-back on an existing wireless network, currently used by TfL staff, making it much cheaper to deploy.
Commuters with a WiFi-enabled smartphone, laptop or other device will be able to read travel information for free. Other services require a subscription to BT’s Openzone network of WiFi hotspots, which is bundled with BT Broadband and mobile contracts with O2, Tesco Mobile, Vodafone and Orange.
“An ever growing commuter populous has been clamouring to be able to check their e-mails and browse the net whilst on the go,” said Kulveer Ranger, the mayor’s transport adviser.
“This is an important step towards seeing how this could be achieved and is part of the Mayor’s ambition to examine ways in which we can use technology to adapt the city’s transport system to meet the needs of those using it.”
TfL has picked one of London’s busiest stations to give the network a rigorous test. Passengers make 68,000 journeys every day at Charing Cross.
The trial, funded entirely by BT, is also designed to gauge customer interest.
“WiFi access on the platform is something I would most welcome,” said Malcolm Barclay, developer of Tube Deluxe, an iPhone app offering travel information and maps.
“There is more opportunity for mobile [services] to expand when coverage becomes ubiquitous. Once that happens, more people will become more reliant on using their mobiles for data.”
Many of the UK’s overground trains now offer WiFi, leaving London’s tube commuters disconnected.
BT Openzone’s WiFi is already available at nine London overground stations, including Charing Cross, Liverpool Street and Victoria, and 10 other mainline stations around the country, such as Edinburgh Waverley and Liverpool Lime Street.
The Cloud, a rival hotspot network, also provides wireless access at several stations.
The mayor remains in discussions with mobile operators about the potential for cellular wireless networks on the tube.
“Given the current pressures on TfL’s budgets any solution would need to be funded through mobile operators with no cost to fare or taxpayers. Discussions are ongoing,” a TfL spokesperson said.
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