Mobile phones and Wi-Fi underground
Mobile coverage
Uninterrupted 4G and 5G mobile coverage will be rolled out to all underground station ticket halls, platforms and tunnels on the Tube and Elizabeth line networks - most (around 80% or up to 220 out of 272 stations) will be connected by the end of 2024.
Customers will be able to send and receive calls and texts, surf the Web, or scroll through social media feeds without losing the connection when going from above ground to underground.
How to connect
Your phone should automatically search for and connect to the mobile signal as if you were above ground.
There's no need to install any special software or app - just continue to use your mobile phone and, as long as it is 4G/5G-compatible, it should connect to the station signal automatically.
Current mobile connections
Jubilee line: Jubilee line customers have been able to connect to 4G on their mobiles since March 2020. The service runs in 8 stations and connecting tunnels from Westminster to Canning Town.
Central line: Customers can now access 4G and 5G-ready mobile coverage on the Central line between Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road and Holland Park, Notting Hill Gate and Queensway.
Northern line: Tottenham Court Road Northern line platforms now have 4G and 5G-ready mobile coverage, as do Northern line stations between Archway and Euston, and Goodge Street and Belsize Park. It's also available in tunnels between Archway and Euston, Goodge Street and Tottenham Court Road (Charing Cross branch) and Chalk Farm and Camden.
If you're in a station that does not yet have mobile connection, you can currently connect to the public Wi-Fi.
Charges
There is no charge from TfL - you just use your mobile phone and pay your mobile service operator as normal.
What's next
There's still work to do before all stations have mobile coverage, including installing the infrastructure, building the connection points and testing systems. All of this will need to be done while continuing to run a busy underground transport system.
Station Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is available at:
- All Tube stations
- Most London Overground stations
- All Elizabeth line stations under central London
- Victoria Coach Station
Your devices will automatically pick up the Wi-Fi signal when you're in a Wi-Fi enabled station. There's no signal in tunnels, but your phone will connect to the signal at the next Wi-Fi enabled platform so you can pick up where you left off.
Using the Wi-Fi service
It's quick and easy to get started - just enable Wi-Fi on your device to connect automatically to the service provided by your mobile network, for example:
- EE WiFi-Auto
- Wifi Extra (for O2)
- Three_WIFI
- _The Cloud (in London Overground)
Your devices will automatically pick up the Wi-Fi signal when you're in a Wi-Fi enabled station. There's no signal in tunnels, but your phone will connect to the signal at the next Wi-Fi enabled platform so you can pick up where you left off.
Hints and tips
- It typically takes a few seconds to connect to the Wi-Fi service at a Tube station (this delay is due to a security feature). If you're trying to connect at a peak time in a busy station, it may take slightly longer
- If you're not able to connect to the Wi-Fi network before you get on a Tube train, don't try to connect on the train as you travel from station to station. To save battery life, some devices extend the time that they search for Wi-Fi hotspots. It's better to wait and connect when you get off the train
- Contact your mobile network operator with any questions about connecting
Contact your provider
EE, Three, Vodafone and VMO2 users can find out more on their providers' websites:
Content safety in Tube stations
We're certified 'Friendly WiFi', reassuring parents and guardians that our Wi-Fi network will filter out inappropriate content and be safe to use.
This certification has the government-initiated standard, which ensures public Wi-Fi meets minimum filtering standards. Find more information on the Friendly WiFi website.
London Overground
The Sky Cloud Wi-Fi service is available in 81 London Overground stations. The Wi-Fi service has content filtering - privacy policies and information on browsing safely can be found on the Sky Wi-fi web page.