Virgin Media starts charging for Underground Wi-Fi, adds more stations
London Underground's Wi-Fi network has been extended to 11 more stations--but has also become a paid-for rather than free service for some.
From Tuesday, Tube passengers who aren't customers of Virgin Media, Vodafone or EE (including T-Mobile and Orange) will be charged to use the pay-as-you go service if they wish to connect to the internet from station platforms, escalators, and concourses. They will be charged £2 daily, £5 weekly, and £15 monthly.
The 11 stations to be added to the network include: Gloucester Road, Highbury & Islington, Kentish Town, Great Portland Street, Hammersmith (District & Piccadilly), South Wimbledon, Tooting Bec, Tooting Broadway, Hampstead, Redbridge, and Blackhorse Road.
Virgin Media launched the service in June last year and originally planned to start charging commuters at the end of the Olympics but announced in October that it was extending the free period until the end of the year.
There are currently 103 Wi-Fi-enabled London Underground stations, although Virgin Media is running behind schedule as it originally said it would have 120 stations live by the end of 2012. It now intends to have 120 live by the end of March 2013.
A map showing all stations offering the service is available here (PDF).