Passengers on the London Overground will soon receive free Internet access after a deal was struck to provide Wi-Fi connections at all 56 stations on the network.
The news comes less than two weeks after Virgin Media announced that it had signed a deal to install Wi-Fi services to 120 London Underground stations in time for the Olympic Games this summer.
The wireless hotspots will be operated by The Cloud and users will need to register just once to receive their sixty minutes of free access each day. The service will remain free to use after the Olympics, unlike the London Underground Wi-Fi service.
After the games have concluded, only Virgin Mobile customers will continue to be able to use the service free of charge, with users of other networks subject a Pay-As-You-Go payment model. Bidding for the service began last March and is part of Mayor of London Boris Johnson’s plans to bring Wi-Fi to public transport in London, including buses.
London Overground services began in 2007 after Transport for London (TfL) won the franchises for a number of London national rail services. It currently comprises five lines, including the former East London tube line, with a sixth due to be added later this year.
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Today’s news is great for commuters and Londoners alike – especially following in the footsteps of the Underground announcing similar plans earlier this year.
However, it will provide a fresh and sizeable challenge for network operators to incorporate yet another provision to customers and businesses, who will demand the same seamless connectivity and experience they expect when static.
Ensuring the new networks are delivered reliably and cost effectively will be crucial to building a solid customer base for them, not just in the run up to and during the Olympics, but as a lasting service of which London can be proud.
If London is to remain one of the key global business and economic hubs then such infrastructure is critical, but the operators need to ensure it is built to last – and that their own systems can comfortably manage the customer’s movements between networks – and not delivered as a novelty in time for the summer games.