Why can’t we go for five minutes without checking our mobile phones these days? The Tube is one of the few mobile-free places left in London, but this could all be set to change.
It’s been reported that the London Mayor Boris Johnson is pushing for mobile coverage on the Tube to be set up in time for the 2012 Olympics. It’s an idea that’s been bandied about for years but hasn’t got off the ground until now.
Discussions are currently going on with the major mobile networks – Vodafone, O2, Orange, T-Mobile and 3 – about who would share the rumoured £100m cost of the project. At least this should mean it will be funded by businesses rather than the taxpayer.
So what are the benefits of not losing signal on an underground journey across London? Some sources are saying it will boost the capital’s economy. But I don’t buy that. Would it really be used for that important business call, or would carriages suddenly be filled with couples checking who’s buying what for dinner on the way home?
I can guess what’s more likely. Don’t panic though – for those who think this could just be one more giant annoyance to add to the daily commute, it’s said there will almost certainly be some quiet carriages where mobiles would be banned.
Ok, mobile network coverage is important to consumers, but is this one step too far? Or is our underground system way out of date for not offering this already?
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