Visitors to England’s capital city of London will be able to check their email, upload photos, and surf the web while using the tube network, as Transport for London has just announced that it will be installing Wi-Fi in 120 stations.

The new development is scheduled to be completed before the 2012 Olympic Games in July, and the announcement of the chosen internet service provider will be made in the early spring. The arrangement will be for a five year period initially, and it could possibly be extended.

The city of London will also be installing Wi-Fi access hotspots throughout the city such as on benches, lampposts, and in other public places.

Internet Suspected of Being Security Risk

When the project is completed, it will be one of the largest wireless internet networks in Europe.

Security experts are concerned about the plan to implement internet access on the London Underground. They believe that there are risks with including this service and that a terrorist could use the Wi-Fi to plan attacks within the tube system in real time. They also fear that the wireless internet could be misused by fraudsters to trick people.

Internet Access on the Go

This internet access program has been in the works for quite some time now. A test run has been conducted at the Charing Cross Station since late 2010. Although the Wi-Fi service will be running in time for the Olympics, plans for an actual mobile network on the Tube seem very far away.

The wireless internet service will be available within the stations as well as on the platforms. However, the wireless will not work within the carriages between stations. If the wireless internet project is successful, Transport for London might also install access on the surface such as in bus shelters.

According to TfL, the internet service will likely bring passengers to a London Underground web portal which will be free of charge to access and will include up-to-date travel information for the city. It will also feature entertainment, sports and other news. However, it says that passengers might have to pay for links to external sites and other data, such as via a subscription fee.

Wi-Fi Helps Promote Olympic Games

Passengers can connect to wireless internet on a wide variety of devices, from smart phones to iPods to net books. Many travellers use public Wi-Fi while they are moving around the city to look up maps and travel information, upload photos of their journey, or send emails to make reservations or bookings. During the Olympic Games, the tube stations will be incredibly crowded with the high number of visitors to London. Passengers will be waiting in queues and standing on platforms for longer, and so having internet access while they wait will give them something to do and prevent complaints. It will also give them a chance to post status updates about the games, which is a great way for the event to spread publicity through word of mouth and social media websites.

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