Londoners on the Central line at Bank station can now benefit from 4G and 5G mobile coverage as part of a joint project to bring mobile coverage to the entire Transport for London (TfL) tube network.
TfL and the infrastructure provider Boldyn Networks have partnered for the rollout, which will extend coverage to the Northern Line and Waterloo and City Line.
In the coming weeks, coverage will be brought to stations in Zone 1, such as Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus near the West End.
The entire ticket hall area of Bank will eventually receive 4G and 5G coverage, although that roll out is still at the planning stage.
The central London hub already enjoyed a significant upgrade at the tail-end of 2022, with two new 100-metre moving walkways and a bunch of new escalators between the Northern Line and DLR.
Shashi Verma, chief technology officer at TfL, said: “We’re pleased that customers using Bank station are now starting to get high-speed mobile coverage on their phones within the station, as part of the next stage of our project with Boldyn Networks to bring it to the whole Tube network.
City of London Corporation Policy Chairman Chris Hayward said: “With a record 615,000 workers and rising in the City, we welcome the continued expansion of high-speed mobile coverage across the Square Mile.
“As competition among global cities increases, reliable connectivity is vital for our plans to forge a successful future for our businesses, residents, visitors, and the diverse communities we serve across the capital.”
More than a quarter of London Tube stations with ‘underground’ platforms now have high-speed coverage. Combined with above ground stations, it means Londoners can access signal on around two thirds of the network.
Some 500 people are working overnight across the Tube network to install mobile equipment as the project continues.