London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Tube passengers may be able to stream World Cup Final on Underground 4G

Tube passengers may be able to stream World Cup Final on Underground 4G

The exact launch date could be ready in time for the final on December 18

Tube passengers may be able to stream the World Cup Final on their smartphones while deep underground, it can be revealed.

The roll-out of 4G wifi on the London Underground is due to hit a major landmark by the end of next month, when a number of stations and tunnels on the Northern and Central lines will be the first in central London to be connected.

The exact launch date is being kept under wraps but it is understood it could be ready in time for the final on December 18. Stations previously earmarked as being the first to benefit include Euston, Bank and Oxford Circus.

The Standard has been given behind-the-scenes access to the work being done to install super-fast wifi to the subterranean sections of the Underground.

The £1bn-plus investment is being carried out by BAI Communications under a 20-year deal that will deliver an annual income to Transport for London. Passengers will be able to make voice calls, text, browse the web and stream movies and TV throughout their journey, at no additional cost under their mobile contract.

Ken Ranger, chief operating office of BAI UK, said: “You will be able to use your phone exactly as you use it above ground, below ground.


The work is ongoing

“You will be able to talk to your loved ones, to stay connected, for entertainment, if you are running late from the office and you can’t get hold of your partner or child and know you can communicate with somebody.”

BAI began work last year and will complete all 137 below-ground stations and their interlinking tunnels – plus those on the Elizabeth line – by the end of next year.

More than 500 people are working each night to install more than 1,200 miles of cabling, antennae and radio receivers. All phone operators will be able to connect into the “neutral” network being laid by BAI.
Skiparrow
Sponsored Ad
Up next
Capital city quiz
Apester Logo
Skiparrow
Sponsored Ad
Up next
Capital city quiz
Apester Logo

Much of the equipment has to be fitted into the tightest of spaces, or hidden behind panelling in passenger tunnel walkways. Engineers have no more than 3.5 hours a night, between the last trains running around 1am and the Tube restarting after 5am.

The technology, which links with 10 “data centres” at secret locations around the capital, is future-proofed to enable later upgrades to 5G. A network of cables is also being laid to create a “full-fibre spine for London”.

The roll-out follows the 2020 trial of 4G on the eastern end of the Jubilee line.

BAI already operates 4G networks on the New York, Toronto and Hong Kong subways.

Matthew Griffin, head of commercial telecoms at TfL, said 4G would provide a “seamless” connection for passengers.

“You can be connected as you walk into a station, walk through the station, take a Tube, change Tubes and then walk out of the station into the street, and your call will be connected at all times,” he said.

“Our plan is to start rolling it out very soon - hopefully some stations by the end of the year, and a really big roll-out in 2023, when a lot of people’s journeys will be covered. We will finish the whole thing off by the end of 2024 - the very hard to reach areas.”

He doubted many passengers would make calls between stations – due to the noise levels from the speed of the Tube.

“My personal view is that it is quite noisy and difficult,” he said. “I would be uncomfortable doing it.

“There will be some people that do it but I think it’s mainly going to be a data and entertainment use - streaming videos, WhatsApp messages. That mirrors how people use their phones above ground. The use of data is increasing a lot, whereas voice is declining.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
After 200,000 Orders in 2 Minutes: Xiaomi Accelerates Marketing in Europe
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×