EE boosts connectivity on London’s West End

Visitors to London’s famous West End can now start to benefit from EE’s leading 4G and 5G mobile network at two of the Capital’s busiest and most notable London Underground stations.

Central line customers at both Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road stations can now benefit from access to the UK’s best mobile network, with coverage available within the ticket halls, on the Central Line platforms and within the tunnel between the two stations.

The two stations are the first in London’s iconic West End to benefit from mobile coverage and follow launches of 4G and 5G coverage at a number of stations on both the Central and Northern Lines in recent months.

Renowned for shopping and theatre, and packed with a host of eateries and bars, the West End is one of London’s most popular destinations for the city’s residents, workers and tourists. The arrival of both 4G and 5G to the area’s London Underground stations will benefit consumers and businesses alike, allowing people to easily stay in touch with friends and family, manage bookings and access tickets, as they converge on the area.

In addition to the stations being announced today, EE will soon be delivering seamless 4G and 5G at other London Underground stations – with a number, such as Euston, Goodge Street, Chancery Lane and Bank, expected to go live for the Northern and Central lines throughout the coming weeks. EE customers can now enjoy London’s best network at a total of 18 London Underground stations, across three different Tube lines. Customers using the Victoria and Bakerloo lines at Oxford Circus are expected to be able to benefit from 4G and 5G mobile coverage in the coming months.

The service is provided in partnership with Boldyn Networks, whose multi-carrier network connects London Underground’s stations and tunnels both with each other and with the outside world. EE’s mobile network connects to this infrastructure via base stations from Nokia’s AirScale radio access portfolio, delivering immediate and continuous mobile coverage to customers. Nokia is supplying and installing the equipment, activating and validating the infrastructure for EE’s mobile services.

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said: “I am delighted to see the promise I made of delivering 4G and 5G across the London Underground continuing to progress, with West End hubs Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road joining an ever-growing network of line and stations with full connectivity. This means Londoners and visitors can now access the latest travel information or social media, check their emails, make calls, and stream videos whilst on the move underground. Growing numbers of underground Tube stations now have 4G and 5G services, with many more to come as we continue to build a better London for everyone.”

Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer, BT Group, said: “Bringing EE’s 4G and 5G to Underground stations in London’s West End is a significant milestone as we continue to connect previously unreachable parts of the city’s transport system. We were one of the first operators to enable high-speed 4G access on the Tube, and we’re delighted to remain at the forefront of this roll-out by connecting two of its busiest stations in the heart of the city. This continued investment in the Capital demonstrates our commitment to delivering 5G connectivity anywhere in the UK by 2028.”