Three and EE agree deal to make entire London Tube network connected

Three and EE have made a deal to help provide 4G and 5G connectivity across the entire London Underground network by 2025.

The two telecommunications providers join BAI Communications, which was awarded a 20-year concession with Transport for London (TfL) to deliver mobile connectivity on the Underground.

The new deal will help deliver smartphone reception to passengers on the Tube and within stations.

Since BAI was awarded the connectivity concession in June 2021, work at some of London's busiest stations, including Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Bank, Euston and Camden Town, is underway to prepare them to be some of the first to be connected by the end of 2022.

All stations and tunnels across the Tube network are due to have uninterrupted mobile coverage by the end of 2024.

Connected smart city technology

A full-fibre network will also be delivered that will connect to buildings and street assets, like traffic lights and lamp posts that house small mobile transmitter cells to leverage the power of 5G and the Internet of Things.

These can then be used by boroughs, academics and developers to deliver improvements in everything from air quality and traffic congestion to public safety and city planning.

Billy D'Arcy, CEO of BAI Communications UK, said: ''This is an important next step on the project's journey which will allow passengers to move around the capital more smartly, safely, and securely.

“More broadly, the new backbone of connectivity will create a platform for innovation and allow London's residents and businesses to harness smart city technology, helping to improve urban life and boost the economy.”

Dr. Amy Hochadel, director at Connected Places Catapult, said connected technology offers solutions to many challenges cities face today.

She said mobile high-speed mobile connectivity is critical to ensuring that innovation can scale up to enable improvements in all aspects of life, from city planning and management to productivity and sustainability.

Hochadel added: “This announcement is such exciting news for London, accelerating its smart city journey and establishing a framework that should be the foundation for all global cities striving to be digitally inclusive and improve the lives of its citizens.”