Tourists visiting London may soon find navigating their way around the city gets a lot easier – after plans to increase high-speed coverage on the capital’s Tube network have gathered pace.
The increased technology comes as part of Mayor Sadiq Khan’s bid to improve London’s digital connectivity – and increase ‘innovation, productivity and growth’ – by putting 4G and 5G mobile network coverage across the entire network.
The project, which is estimated to be costing £1billion, is set to be finished by the end of 2026, with up to 400 engineers regularly working overnight to try and fulfil plans for a fully connected network.
Commuters and visitors to the city will be able to stream videos, access live travel updates and use social media while underground, thanks to the superfast connections.
Transport for London (TfL) announced plans to roll out further coverage to improve communication this week, with parts of the Circle and District Lines set to get connected for the first time.
Passengers can currently already access a high-speed signal if they’re travelling on the newest line – the Elizabeth – as well as at Euston Square, Cannon Street and Battersea Power Station.
Major London stations are up next too, with Eurostar Tube hub King’s Cross St Pancras coming in the next few months, alongside Gloucester Road, Warwick Avenue and Vauxhall.
By the end of the year, super-fast coverage will be accessible across the entire London Undergound network, as part of Sadiq Khan’s plans to improve digital connection in the capital
Those travelling on the Northern and Metropolitan lines will have to wait a little longer for a high-speed subterranean connection, with coverage expected at the end of the summer.
The project has already reached its half-way point, with some 63 out of 121 London stations, and the tunnels that connect them, now with fast connections.
Reports the Evening Standard, all three UK mobile big hitters, Virgin Media O2, Vodafone Three and EE will be able to pay a fee to access the network, provided by technology firm Boldyn Networks, previously known as BAI Communications.
London has lagged behind other major tourist destinations when it comes to connectivity.
In Tokyo, passengers have long been able to get online, with free Wi-Fi available at most major stations.
New York’s train system also has increasing access to high-speed coverage, with Paris also improving connectivity on its Metro system.
The 4G and 5G roll-out has already happened on London’s newest line, the Elizabeth
Meanwhile, visitors in London are bracing themselves for a new tourist tax on overnight stays, which could raise more than £350million a year for the capital.
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan received powers last year to levy a tax on overnight visitors, which he said would ‘directly support the capital’s economy and help cement our reputation as a global tourism and business destination’.
Through changes enabled by the Autumn Budget 2025, city mayors and town officials will have the authority to charge a small fee for overnight stays in accommodations such as hotels, B&Bs, guesthouses and holiday lets.
These levies will bring England in line with other parts of the UK, as well as with top international destinations such as New York, Paris and Milan, where fees on short-term stays have long been commonplace.
