100,000 Passengers Use Underground Wi-Fi

Virgin Media has claimed that more than 100,000 passengers have used its Wi-Fi service on the London Underground since it was first launched four weeks ago, with over 40 stations now covered.

It said that one million tweets, Facebook posts, emails and web pages have been sent or accessed since then over underground Wi-Fi, demonstrating that commuters are loving being able to access the Internet on the tube.

Virgin-run Wi-Fi access is now available at 41 stations on the network, with 80 set to be enabled in time for the Olympic Games this summer and 120 by the end of the year.

No escape from email

“Londoners and visitors are loving our new Wi-Fi service and we’re on track to connect Tube journeys right across London ahead of the Games,” said Kevin Baughan, director of Metro Wireless at Virgin Media. “With millions of smartphones, gadgets and devices taken onto the Tube each day, the demand for data continues to grow and we’re rolling out a future-proofed service that makes superfast wireless connections the standard. In partnership with TfL, we’ve achieved a huge amount and have launched a service London can be proud of.”

Virgin won the contract to supply Wi-Fi connectivity earlier this year and has installed hundreds of access points at enabled stations, providing signal from the ticket hall to the platforms, although not in the tunnels themselves.

Transport for London (TfL) has announced the first 80 stations, a list which includes busy central London interchanges such as Oxford Circus and Leicester Square as well, as major rail terminals like Kings Cross and Victoria.

Free for a while

Last week, it added 32 more stations to the network, including several Olympic venues. However it was forced to change its terms and conditions after it emerged they allowed the company to monitor users’ internet communications.

“Wi-Fi at Tube stations is proving extremely popular with our customers,” said Gareth Powell, London Underground’s director of strategy and service development. “Millions of commuters and visitors from around the world are now able to keep up with live travel updates, news and entertainment throughout an incredible summer and beyond.

“We look forward to continuing the roll-out and connecting up to 120 London Underground stations in 2012.”

The service is free during this summer, after which it will only remain free of charge for Virgin Media customers and a number of other operators. Virgin is offering other providers the chance to wholesale the service and offer it to their customers and has announced it will be available on a pay-as-you go basis for all other users.

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