[title]
How do you kill time on your tube commute? Maybe it’s flipping through Ulysses by James Joyce to increase your literary hipster cred, brainstorming your next vowel-laden Wordle guess or reliving your Candy Crush glory days. Or perhaps you spend your time underground desperately drafting emails and text messages until you hit the 4G sweet spot somewhere on your escalator ascent.
If you fall into the latter category, we have good news for you. Moves to introduce 4G across the London Underground continue to advance, with confirmation yesterday that a 4G pilot scheme on the Jubilee line between Westminster and Canning Town is to be made permanent.
On this section of the Jubilee line – which includes the busy commuter route linking Waterloo, London Bridge and Canary Wharf – data-hungry passengers will be able to keep on top of their emails, catch up on social media and live stream videos.
Rolled out in 2020, the pilot introduced access to uninterrupted high-speed Wi-Fi in all stations and tunnels on the eastern end of the Jubilee line. Next on the list: Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Bank, Euston and Camden Town are all on track to become connected by the end of this year. The wider aim is for a 4G network to be in place across the entire Underground by December 2024.
The good news doesn’t end there – we could see 4G coverage as soon as the summer months. Coverage is expected on the shiny, new Elizabeth line after its scheduled opening before the end of June.
So get your texting thumbs ready, London! And be sure to mind the gap, even with your head buried in your inbox.