London’s Tube system is getting full cellphone voice and data service throughout its tunnels and stations, starting this fall with the Jubilee line—but not everyone is happy. Some fear that private phone conversations at high volumes will make riding the rails a nightmare. Others, of course, welcome the opportunity to stream and read without interruption.
System operator Transport for London is piggybacking the new system on construction of an emergency data network that the government has mandated for the system. TfL is paying for the first installation, but the rest of the system will be contracted out to a private operator that will then charge cell system operators for access. Although none has yet committed, Tfl says “Our suspicion is that none of them will want to be left behind.”
The other possible impact is on print publications that count on passengers without connection to read their papers. Upgrading the entire system is expected to be complete by the mid 2020s.
