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Virgin Media selected to roll out free wifi in London Underground ahead of Olympics

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By The Drum Team | Editorial

March 14, 2012 | 2 min read

Virgin Media has been selected to roll out free wifi at 80 Underground stations in London before the Olympics, Kulveer Ranger announced today at Digital London.

The director of environment and digital for Mayor of London Boris Johnson made the announcement made the announcement during his lunchtime keynote speech today.

There were previous worries that

/news/2011/09/28/virgin-media-warns-olympic-games-could-lead-mobile-phone-lsquocapacity-crunchrsquo">there could be a ‘capacity crunch’ on internet during the Olympics unless more wifi hotspots were built.

UPDATED: Virgin Media told The Drum it will continue to offer free live TfL travel information via a new online portal after the Olympic period, with up to 120 Tube stations, many of them deep-level, to be connected by the end of the year.

From July 2012, all Tube passengers will be able to connect to the internet at stations for free, and following this period, wifi at Tube stations will be made available as part of Virgin Media’s broadband and mobile subscriptions and all Tube passengers will be able to stay up-to-date with travel information using the free online portal.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said: “It's vital that we harness the massive opportunities stemming from the digital revolution, by creating a vibrant, world class industry to attract investment and create jobs for Londoners. Millions of passengers will now be able to connect to their work, friends or access the latest news and travel information whilst on the move. This is a fabulous new and free resource which will be in place from this summer when London is being showcased on a global stage and playing host to millions.”

Neil Berkett, CEO of Virgin Media, said: “With the eyes of the world on London this summer, we’ll be showing off our capital as a leading connected city on the global stage. We’re putting the power of Virgin Media’s fibre optic network in the hands of millions of Londoners, commuters and visitors and are delighted to be launching Wi-Fi for free throughout summer 2012 and beyond. We’ll help people make the most of the city and will continue to evolve the service, ensuring everyone can benefit from a service London will be proud of.”

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