Tube delays
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Underground mobile phone network delayed by red tape.
9 May 2005 The introduction of a £150 million underground mobile phone network on London's Tube system is to be delayed by bureaucracy and red tape, say mobile operators.
The Tube operator Transport for London (TfL) and the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone recently promised to install transmitters to provide passengers with mobile reception, wireless internet access and digital radio on the underground system.
But mobile operators say that the system would be delivered much sooner if they were not required to go through a laborious tendering process.
Brian McBride, managing director of T-Mobile UK told The Daily Telegraph: "It is frankly absurd that London Underground is not networked for mobile. The UK operators are all prepared to do the work and make the required investment. It is time for the Luddites to move out of the way."
The UK mobile operators are convinced they could work together to build a system that would be operational within 18 months.
TfL is currently expecting to deliver mobile services to passengers on station platforms by 2008 at the earliest.
The first trials will begin in 2006, and services could be extended to include tunnels and moving trains at a later date.
