London Underground’s new Connect digital radio system is
to be linked to the police and emergency services after London
Underground signed a £115m contract with
O2 Airwave, which manages the police
network.
The linking of the networks will give the Metropolitan Police
Service and other UK police forces, including British Transport
Police, Airwave radio coverage at all 125 below-ground Underground
stations by 2008.
Airwave will be rolled out across the Tube network on the same
line-by-line basis, starting with the East London Line, where the
service will go live in April 2007. It will be rolled out across
the remainder of the Tube network on a line-by-line basis
throughout 2007.
Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, said: "The addition of the
Airwave radio network to the new Connect digital radio system,
currently being rolled out across the Tube network, is good news
for London. It will bring added flexibility to the way that
emergency services operate underground boosting the Metropolitan
and City of London Police response to any incident on the Tube and
providing extra reassurance to Londoners."
The deal is particularly significant as below-ground coverage
failed for the emergency services when the July 7 bombing attacks
hit London in 2005.
Tube police sold on mobile benefits
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