Transport for London held a behind-closed-doors event at City Hallon Thursday as it asked suppliers to bid for the contract to deliver 4G on the Underground.
Mayor Sadiq Khan has set a 2019 deadline for the start of 4G coverage in Tube tunnels as part of a major drive to eliminate the capital’s “not-spots”.
The plans involve offering passengers full access to mobile networks, allowing London to catch up with other great global cities such as Seoul, Tokyo, New York or Paris.
TfL said its event yesterday was attended by representatives from the major mobile phone networks, as well as mobile technology companies from around the world.
In a pitch to potential providers, TfL said London’s mobile market is worth £3bn a year, and pledged to “deliver full mobile coverage at stations and in tunnels so that commuters can enjoy seamless connectivity”.
It added: “In the future, customers will be able to catch up on last night’s TV, stream music or read their emails or the latest news uninterrupted.”
Although the aim is for 4G coverage to start before the end of 2019 it is likely to be rolled out over a longer timescale because of the complexity of the technology.
The historic first subterranean calls under central London will be made by passengers on the Elizabeth Line, which will have full mobile coverage when its services launch in December 2018.
The measures will bring to an end virtually the last “hiding place” for Londoners wishing to avoid being contacted on their phones.
Deputy Mayor for Transport Val Shawcross said: “This is the next step towards meeting Londoners demand for fast mobile connectivity on the Tube. This will make a real difference to millions of passengers and help them get more out of the time they spend on the Tube.”