UK Funds £57 Million Satellite WiFi Upgrade for 1,400 Trains, Targeting 90% Coverage
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 26
UK Funds £57 Million Satellite WiFi Upgrade for 1,400 Trains, Targeting 90% Coverage
6 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 26
£57 million in government funding will extend low-earth-orbit satellite WiFi to more than 1,400 UK main line trains over the next few years.
The upgrade aims to lift onboard internet availability from about 50%-60% of journeys to at least 90%, replacing a system that now depends on patchy 4G and 5G trackside signals.
Trials have already run with operators including LNER, South Western Railway and Great Western Railway, and the wider rollout will cover nationalised main line services.
Passenger and transport groups backed the move as a meaningful improvement, but said fares, overcrowding, delays and cancellations still rank above WiFi among travelers' main concerns.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is expected to announce the plan this summer as the government builds Great British Railway, the new body meant to oversee rail services and infrastructure.
With fares and delays top concerns, is the £57m WiFi upgrade the right priority for Britain's railways?
Will passengers have to pay extra for the promised 'home-quality' train WiFi?
Can satellite tech truly end internet 'blackspots' on trains, or will tunnels still cause disconnections?