MOBILE phone calls on the Tube could be available in time for the 2012 Olympics.
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That’s according to Lord Carter, author of the government-sponsored Digital Britain report, which came out this week.
The report’s main focus was on the extension of broadband to every corner of the country and Carter made clear that includes every underground corner.
“The London Olympics in 2012, which will be the most digital Olympics in history, seems a particularly good reason for the mobile network operators to work with the Mayor of London,” said Carter in the report.
Over recent years, there have been various moves to install mobile-friendly technology on the Tube network, but these have usually hit a wall due to the costs involved.
Nevertheless, Carter’s insistence that “the huge influx of international visitors to the London Olympics” would expect “broadband mobile access for mobile customers travelling by Tube” is set to give the dormant project a push.
Phone companies say they need help with the costs, but Transport for London feels it has enough on its plate already, hence Carter’s proposal that the Mayor get involved, possibly on the basis that any investment would represent an Olympic legacy.
“If funding was found from external sources we would give consideration to how a system might be implemented on the Tube,” said a spokesperson for TfL.
