Wednesday, March 28, 2012

London Overground Stations to get WiFi in time for Olympics

After the announcement that Virgin Media won the contract to provide wi-fi to the London Underground, now it's been announced that London’s Overground train passengers will be able to access 60 minutes of free wi-fi per day with the introduction of hotspots at 56 stations. The Next Web report that the hotspots will be managed by The Cloud which is owned by BSkyB and users will need to register once to access the service.

Shadwell London Overground station by Mr. Grossman
Shadwell London Overground station by Mr. Grossman

The contract will give travellers one hour of free online access every day, at any station on the network.  Some of the major London stations to get the service in time for the stations in time for the London 2012 Olympics this summer will be Dalston, Forest Hill, Hackney Central, Kensington Olympia, New Cross Gate, Norwood Junction, Shepherd’s Bush, Surrey Quays, Wapping, West Croydon, West Hampstead and Willesden Junction.  The rollout to all London Overground stations is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Access to the internet is no longer limited solely to home or to the workplace, and people’s expectation is to be able to work and communicate effectively and seamlessly while they’re on the move so we’re delighted to support this initiative which will bring reliable, free WiFi to London Overground’s customers,” said Steve Murphy, Managing Director of London Overground Rail Operations.

Virgin Media is building the wi-fi network on the London Underground from a total capital expenditure budget of about £640m for 2012.  There will be a period of free access during the Olympics, and then only Virgin Media's broadband & mobile customers will get continued access as part of their subscriptions. Other non-paying users will be limited to a site showing online travel information.

Related posts
Virgin Media win London Underground wi-fi contract
TfL say on track for Tube Wi-Fi to be enabled for Olympics
WiFi Tests on London Underground  

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