The first tunnelled section of the Elizabeth Line has now been equipped with high-speed mobile coverage.
Passengers travelling on the five-mile stretch between Liverpool Street and Paddington on the Elizabeth Line will now be able to enjoy 4G and 5G coverage while travelling through tunnels.
This development follows the last key milestone achieved in May, when all stations on the Elizabeth Line received 4G mobile coverage.
TfL’s partner Boldyn Networks, which delivered the connectivity, is also working to deliver high-speed mobile coverage on further tunnelled sections of the Elizabeth Line towards Whitechapel. The whole line is expected to have mobile coverage by the end of summer.
Andy Lord, the Commissioner for Transport for London, said: "It's wonderful to see our programme to introduce high-speed mobile coverage now benefitting customers on the Elizabeth line, the newest part of London's historic underground network of stations and tunnels.”
TfL and Boldyn Networks are working to introduce 4G and 5G coverage to the whole Tube, DLR and Elizabeth Line network, as well as a section of the London Overground between Highbury and Islington and New Cross. Once delivered, more than 2000 kilometres of cabling and thousands of radios will have been installed in tunnels across the network.
Mobile network operators Three UK, EE, Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 are all taking part in the rollout.
In addition to the improvements on the Elizabeth Line, Boldyn Systems is also working to enhance connectivity on further sections of the Bakerloo, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines over the next month.
Billy D'Arcy, CEO of UK & Ireland at Boldyn Networks said: "Following the success of all underground Elizabeth line stations being connected, we're delighted that TfL customers are now starting to enjoy 4G and 5G coverage in the tunnels.
“This will benefit a huge number of passengers travelling between Liverpool Street and Paddington, including tourists travelling through central London this summer, as progress continues on the rollout of our new digital infrastructure for London."
The expanding coverage will also provide rail and Tube staff with better connectivity to pass on information and host the new Emergency Services Network (ESN). When operational, the ESN will give first responders immediate access to life-saving data in live situations and emergencies.
Image credit: iStock
