News
London Trackside Connectivity Receives Major Boost
(17 May 2021, BWCS Staff)Commuters creeping tentatively back to the office this week may notice fewer mobile not-spots on their train journeys in and around London. UK mobile operator EE has today announced “significant upgrades” to its network of track-side masts covering key commuter routes in and out of the capital.
With Transport for London due to announce the winning bidder for the contract to provide mobile coverage on the Underground and with Network Rail looking for a £1 billion partner for its trackside telecoms network, the UK is fast becoming a leading light in the train to shore communications field. (All of these projects will be presented and discussed at this year’s WiFi on Trains Conference www.Traincomms.com)
For its part, EE says it has built 69 new masts and upgraded 35 existing sites. It has also boosted capacity at several major stations: Victoria, Charing Cross, and Kings Cross and doubled at Euston, Liverpool Street and City Thameslink.
In total, 4G mobile coverage has been improved on seven sections of the train route between London Euston and Birmingham New Street and on six between London Victoria and Brighton. Other lines to see upgrades include London Paddington to Reading, and London Liverpool Street to Chelmsford. The new coverage includes in-tunnel 4G aerials on the HS1 line between St Pancras International and Ashford International. EE says that this will be extended to all tunnels on the route later this year.
David Salam, Director of Mobile Networks, EE, commented “We’ve made huge improvements to key routes in and out of London to keep our customers connected as restrictions begin to ease and the number of workers and visitors returning to the city increases.”
Passengers, commuter groups, governments and BWCS have long urged mobile network operators to provide enhanced coverage of terin lines – especially into and out of major cities. Norway and Denmark are two good examples of where telecom companies are being persuaded to co-operate in the effort to make train coverage better. Finland looks set to follow suit.
The full roster of Train Operators and Suppliers who will be speaking at this year’s WiFi on Trains Conference – Traincomms 2021 – is now ready.
Please go to www.Traincomms.com and add your name to the list to be the first to receive the programme – hot off the presses ….
The Conference is back to being Live and In-Person this year and we very much look forward to seeing as many of you as possible again on November the 16th and 17th in London.
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