The latest update from Transport for London (TfL) and Boldyn Networks has today revealed that they’ve completed the work to bring 4G and 5G mobile (mobile broadband) coverage to the entire Elizabeth Line, including tunnelled sections in between stations, which can be harnessed by mobile operators including EE, Vodafone, Three UK and O2.
Just to recap. Boldyn Networks (formerly BAI), using kit from Nokia and others, currently holds a 20-year concession deal with TfL, which was signed in June 2021 (here) and allows them to build the new 4G and 5G “Ready” mobile network infrastructure across the whole Tube (London Underground), DLR and Elizabeth line network.
This new network can then be made available via wholesale for Mobile Network Operators (MNO) to harness. The original goal of this is to cover the entire London Underground by the end of 2024 (ticket halls, platforms and tunnels), as well as Highbury and Islington and New Cross on the London Overground network. But the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, acknowledged in March 2024 that “small sections of some lines, such as those that are closer to the surface, where partial mobile coverage exists, require bespoke works that may extend into 2025/26.”
The completion of the Elizabeth Line project is a key milestone in this roll-out, which means hundreds of thousands of customers travelling across central London to Whitechapel, Stratford, Canary Wharf, Custom House and Woolwich will enjoy seamless connectivity as they travel between stations. It will also help to extend the Emergency Services Network (ESN) for first responders.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:
“Bringing mobile coverage to the Underground network is a key commitment of mine, so I’m delighted that the entire Elizabeth line network now has 4G connectivity.
This is yet another step towards ensuring Londoners and visitors can stay connected on our transport network and means customers can access the latest travel information, keep in touch with colleagues, friends and family throughout their journey on the Elizabeth line.
Growing numbers of underground Tube stations now have 4G and 5G services, with many more to come as we continue to build a better London for everyone.”
Large sections of central London now have the new 4G and some 5G coverage, and work is underway to expand coverage along the Northern line towards Morden, as well as between King’s Cross St Pancras and Moorgate by the end of the year and early 2025.
Coverage on the Bakerloo line will, in the “coming weeks“, also be extended along the tunnelled sections between Piccadilly Circus and Embankment, with further stations along the line, as well as the Piccadilly and Victoria lines, set to get coverage in the “coming months“.
At points, up to 500 people have been working overnight across the Tube network to install the new mobile equipment, with all works needed to be tidied away before the network opens for customers every morning. Once fully delivered, more than 2,000km of fibre optic cabling, as well as thousands of radios (base stations, small cells etc.), are expected to be installed within tunnels and stations – fitted outside of operational hours.