ct

Groupe Eurotunnel has signed a 10-year agreement with the British telecom firms EE and Vodafone to offer mobile services in the Channel Tunnel that links Britain and France.

With this agreement, Eurostar and Le Shuttle passengers travelling through the Eurotunnel will be able to make and receive mobile phone calls starting March 2014.

The telecom firms intend to offer 4G data services throughout the tunnel in the near future.

Eurotunnel and its partners have carried out technical work in an effort to provide these services, which are claimed to be first wireless service below sea level of 100m.

"While wireless coverage is the fourth utility, people expect it as a given, wherever they are."

Last year, Eurotunnel signed agreements with the French mobile operators, Bouygues Telecom, Orange and SFR for installation of GSM-P services in the South Running Tunnel.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The move is part of Eurotunnel’s plan to continually improve customer service due to rising demand for connectivity on the move.

According to UK-based mobile coverage solutions provider Axell Wireless, consumer mobile services in the Eurotunnel will operate on a separate system to the GSM-R specialist railway communications network that is being enabled using its wireless technology.

The company is using a fibre optic Distributed Antenna System (DAS) to transmit mobile voice and data signals throughout the tunnel.

Axell Wireless CEO Ian Brown said: "Cellular connections in rail transportation are the future, while wireless coverage is the fourth utility, people expect it as a given, wherever they are."

About 20 million passengers travel through the world’s longest undersea tunnel every year. EE was formed after the merger of Orange and T-Mobile in the UK.


Image: Channel Tunnel is a 31.4 mile rail tunnel linking Kent in the UK with Coquelles in northern France. Photo: courtesy of Wikimedia commons under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.