There are many reasons to give London a wide berth during the 2012 Olympic games, but Underground Wi-Fi access is definitely not one of them. Equipping London's Tube with Wi-Fi functionality has been a widely speculated topic for years and the announcement of the London Olympics has further bolstered those rumours, pointing to an official announcement in time for the 2012 sports extravaganza.
Now, word from London's Evening Standard tells us wireless internet access has been given the official nod from Transport for London bosses, who have said Tube platforms at 120 stations will benefit from underground Wi-Fi hotspots.
That means by the time the official Olympic gates open, you'll be able to check your emails, browse the web and show off to everyone on Facebook that you're updating your status from the dark and gloomy depths of the London Underground.
TfL's director of strategy and service development Gareth Powell said, "London Underground is continuing with preparations to install the necessary infrastructure and is on schedule to complete the project as planned. An announcement of the chosen service provider will be made in early spring leaving plenty of time for this to be delivered to customers in time for the 2012 Games."
The only downside to this wonderful tale is that people may be charged for the privilege. With no official word on this, all we can do is hope for the best.
Following trials at Charing Cross station (which took place in March last year) more than half of those taking part felt that Wi-Fi access would generally make their Tube experience much better. We're sure there are many naysayers who would disagree.
