WiFi goes live on London Underground

LONDON, July 25 (UPI) -- Virgin Media says it's turned on free WiFi service at 73 stations on the London Underground and plans to later resell the Tube service to other operators.

Virgin, which had the first six stations go live at the beginning of June, is aiming at having WiFi service in 80 Tube stations before the start of the London Olympic Games Friday.

Virgin said it has been in talks with mobile operators and ISPs offering to resell service on the Tube's WiFi network at the end of the summer after the Olympics.

"We're speaking to a range of potential wholesale partners, including mobile operators, ISPs and other service providers, about our new WiFi service on London Underground," a Virgin Media spokesman told ZDNet.

"We want to make WiFi on London Underground widely available, with a wholesale model combining the best consumer experience with real choice."

Until then the London Underground service is free to everyone during the Olympic Games, the company said.

After that it will come at no extra cost to existing Virgin Media customers, while others can get it on a pay-as-you-go basis.