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The London Underground announced that plans to roll out wi-fi access would go ahead at 120 stations before June 2012.
Following a trial at Charing Cross tube station, LU announced that it is inviting telecoms operators to tender for providing wi-Ffi service throughout the underground portions of the network.
"The roll out of wi-fi technology across the platforms and public areas of our Tube stations will finally allow Londoners to use mobile devices to pick up their emails, access social media sites and stay in touch with the world above while they traverse our subterranean transport network," said London Mayor Boris Johnson.
Johnson said that companies were being asked to bid in a roll out that would be complete before the 2012 Olympic Games.
The BBC reported that the founder of security outfit ICP said the plans had "implications in terms of terrorism and security." The BBC helpfully added that "explosion in tunnels are known to concentrate more force."
A TFL spokesman in turn pointed out that mobile network access was common in many other underground railway systems in the world.
