O2 mobile network goes underground

September 10, 2016

O2 will trial an underground mobile phone service in Glasgow later this year.

Under the trial, planned to begin in December, O2’s mobile network signal will be available to rail passengers on Glasgow’s underground service.

O2 customers will be able to make calls, send texts and even access mobile broadband on the stations and platforms of Glasgow’s subway system.

Britain is far behind the rest of the world in terms of underground mobile signals – most subway systems in Asia and Europe offer mobile phone services.

Even commuters in Newcastle – where the train service operates partly underground – have had mobile signal for years.

O2 said a successful trial is likely to lead to a similar service being offered on London’s busiest underground stations and platforms.

Eventually the company hopes to offer mobile phone signal on all of Britain’s underground stations, as well as on underground trains.

An exclusive deal to provide underground telecoms services would prove lucrative for O2, forcing rail passengers wanting communication on the go to switch to their network.