Wireless goes Underground

Thanks to Uncle Ken, every Londoner's favourite Mayor, Tube Travellers will be able to receive mobile calls and access wireless services soon(ish), as bids have been received to wire the London Underground:

London Underground (LU) looks set to begin mobile phone service trials next year after receiving 70 bids to wire up the capital's Tube network for mobile phone and other wireless services.

The deadline for "expressions of interest" in carrying out the major project passed yesterday after being extended by a month due to the overwhelming interest shown by potential suppliers.

LU has now given companies until the end of June to complete a "market consultation document" which examines the issues that need to be taken into account for providing wireless services across London's Tube network.

If all goes to plan, trials could kick off next year followed by contract tenders at the beginning of 2007 with commuters finally able to use the service at stations from summer 2008.

More from elReg here.

2008? Optimistic, as anyone with experience of LU will tell you. Any engineering works on the Tube takes about the age of the universe, give or take a millenia... And do we really want mobile phones on the Tube? They're bad enough on surface trains - can you imagine half a dozen 'crazee frogs' going off at the same time when you're crammed into a carriage like sardines? I foresee Tube-Rage increasing...

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