24 Oct 2019

Vodafone to pilot 4G on the London Underground

Vodafone has announced a new partnership with Transport for London (TfL) to pilot wireless connectivity in tunnels and at station platforms on the eastern end of the Jubilee line.

From spring 2020, customers will be able to connect their devices to Vodafone’s 4G network to make calls, stream video and download content while on the tube. This follows an initial update on the trial from TfL back in July.

Vodafone invests around £1million per week upgrading and improving network capacity across London to keep pace with ever-increasing levels of demand for data, currently in the region of three million gigabytes per week.

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, today opened the company’s new digital hub in Southwark, London. The Speechmark, which has undergone a £6.5m refurbishment, will be home to Vodafone’s 1,000 London-based employees.

Southwark is one of the many areas of London where Vodafone’s network supports 5G coverage. The company has gone live with 5G in 77 towns and cities across the UK and Europe.

Sadiq Khan said, “London is on track to become the world’s leading smart city, and the move to 5G has the potential to make the capital a global trailblazer in civic innovation. By working with providers like Vodafone we can develop the best technologies that will boost our economy and meet the needs of Londoners, radically improving how we live and work.”