Your commute is about to get a whole lot less frustrating, thanks to a new plan announced by the mayor of London.
Full 4G mobile coverage is to be rolled out across the capital's Tube network within two years, Sadiq Khan said, enabling us to make calls and use the internet in the same way we do above ground. Hallelujah!
The mayor hopes to eradicate London's connectivity “not-spots" and bring the capital in line with other global cities, including Seoul, Tokyo, New York and Paris, which already allow passengers to access mobile networks, the Evening Standard reported.
It is currently possible to connect to WiFi on many Tube station platforms and escalators, but it's bloody annoying having to input your details each time and you lose connection when the train pulls away from the station, rendering the rigmarole pretty much pointless anyway.
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The new plan will involve "delivering 4G mobile connectivity to London Underground, both in station and tunnels from 2019, future-proofed ready for 5G," Khan wrote in a letter to the leaders of London's 33 local authorities.
"If we are to remain competitive in the global economy, we need to ensure every Londoner is able to access a fast and reliable digital connection," he said. "That means working to boost connectivity across London – tackling not-spots, delivering connectivity in the London Underground and working with local authorities to provide digital infrastructure fitting of a global tech hub."
The first trial is set to take place on the Waterloo & City line during the night and weekends when it's closed and it's expected that the first underground calls will be made from the new Elizabeth line, which will have full mobile connectivity when it opens in December next year, the Standard reported.
Admittedly, it's going to be sad to no longer have the excuse that we were underground and therefore uncontactable. We might have to actually get around to tackling the 6,342 emails stewing in our inbox or replying to that Facebook message from our school friend. But if you still CBA, at least we have airplane mode.