UK mobile going underground

The Glasgow Subway will be the first underground train service in the UK to get mobile phone coverage, if mobile operator O2 has its way.

O2 said it plans to deploy a multi-user distributed antenna system on the rail network, enabling mobile phones to work underground.

The deal, with partner transmission provider Arqiva and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), will see O2 kit installed in five of Glasgow’s busiest Subway stations – Buchanan Street, St Enoch, Kelvinbridge, Hillhead and Partick.

The service will go live in December, and O2 said it could pave the way for a future rollout in London.

Derek McManus, O2’s chief technology officer, said: “This new technology will enable customers to make calls, send and receive text messages and access a host of data services while on the subway platform. If this means that they can continue conversations on underground platforms or can text friends to say that they’ll be arriving in five minutes, then we’ve successfully provided a better service.”