4G available on Jubilee line from March

Mobile telephone giant EE has signed an agreement with Transport for London (TfL) to bring 4G connectivity to a section of the London Underground for the first time.

The trial section, which will cover the platforms and tunnels between Westminster and Canning Town on the Jubilee line, will give customers access to the UK’s best 4G network underground for the first time, allowing them to stay connected to information and entertainment on the go.

The trial service will cover ticket halls and corridors within stations along this section of the Jubilee line, with the exception of London Bridge and Waterloo stations which, subject to final approvals, will be added later during 2020.

Marc Allera, chief executive of BT’s consumer division, said: “‘We are delighted to formally join the TfL 4G on the Underground trial, connecting our customers between Westminster and Canning Town. This trial is the start of a huge step forward for London.”

Shashi Verma, Chief Technology Officer at TfL, said: “It’s great that EE have signed up to bring their 4G network to Jubilee line customers. The London Underground network is an incredibly challenging environment in which to deliver technological improvements, but we remain on course for customers to start benefiting from our pilot from March 2020.”

As part of a trial with the other main network providers, the service aims to go live in March 2020 and will be available to customers of all of EE’s mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) partners.

The trial aims to pave the way for a wider network roll out across all of the Underground in the coming years, providing network signal to the 5 million commuters that use the service every day.