London Underground free wi-fi services at Tube stations on track for summer launch

Simon Bull, London24 editor Friday, June 1, 2012
7:33 AM

The first London Underground stations where people will be able to get free wi-fi access during the summer have been named.

Stations including Oxford Circus, Stratford, Liverpool Street, Leicester Square and King’s Cross will be among the first to launch, with around 80 stations wi-fi enabled by the end of July in time for the Olympics, Transport for London said.

It means Londoners will be able to use wi-fi and mobile internet services at many Underground stations for the first time.

Due to the massive work involved, services will not be available on trains.

The contract – which the Mayor of London’s office says comes at zero cost to taxpayers – was awarded to Virgin Media.

At the end of the summer after the Olympic and Paralympic Games, wi-fi at Tube stations will be made available as part of Virgin Media’s broadband and mobile subscriptions.

To everyone else it will become a pay-as-you-go service, with only travel information available for free.

Gareth Powell, London Underground’s director of strategy and service development, said: “Our customers will soon be able to connect to the internet for live travel information while they are on the move through stations.

“Bringing a next generation wi-fi service to one of the world’s oldest underground transport networks is progressing as planned and the forthcoming service is testing well.

“The first stations include some of our busiest and most well-known destinations and we’re on-track for a successful launch this summer – all delivered at no additional cost to fare payers or taxpayers.”