06 May 2022

BAI Communications has launched a permanent 4G mobile service on the eastern section of the Jubilee Line, which is a significant milestone in the rollout of mobile coverage across the London Underground.

Three and EE customers will be the first to benefit from the 4G and 5G-ready communications between Westminster and Canning Town, while the pilot services with O2 and Vodafone will continue while discussions with BAI on access agreements are finalised for a permanent service.

It follows a successful pilot scheme on the Jubilee Line since March 2020.

Last year BAI Communications was awarded a 20-year concession by Transport for London (TfL) to provide mobile connectivity on the Underground.

BAI Communications chief executive officer Billy D’Arcy said the service will “provide a massive boost to the passenger experience.”

He added: “We’re pleased to announce this first major delivery milestone on our journey to transforming London’s connectivity. Customers of our launch partners, Three and EE, will be able to enjoy permanent access to uninterrupted mobile connectivity whilst travelling on the eastern Jubilee Line.”

BAI is deploying an active distributed antenna system (DAS) from SOLiD Technologies, which is custom built for the challenging environment of the London Underground. This is an approach that has been proven in some of BAI’s previous transport system deployments, such as New York City.

Coverage in tunnels is provided via a system of high-power radio units connected to circa 770kms of “leaky feeder” cable that are being laid throughout the London Underground tunnels.

In station ticket halls and platforms, a large number of low power radio units provide coverage.

The system connects back via new fibre connections to a series of data centres across London, which act as base station hotels and provide the interconnection points for each of the mobile network operators.

A permanent 4G mobile service is also expected on the Elizabeth Line and at Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Bank, Euston and Camden Town by the end of the year.