World First: 4G in the Channel Tunnel To bring Ultra High Speed Mobile Communications to 21 million Passengers. Launch at a Live Undersea Concert
Eurotunnel is always looking to innovate and now, working with EE, O2, Vodafone UK and Bouygues Telecom, it is about to introduce 4G mobile services in the Channel Tunnel, from 12 December. This development will enable passengers to access content and services and will speed up data flows throughout the journey between the UK and France in both directions, 100 metres below the sea and over 100% of the network.
In a sparkling demonstration of what 4G can bring to the Tunnel, a live concert by French pop/rock group Archimède will be broadcast live from a Shuttle travelling at 140 km/h in the north running tunnel at 18:00 on Friday 12 December on French channels LCI and France3 Nord-Pas de-Calais and the BBC.
Bringing mobile coverage to the Channel Tunnel is a remarkable feat of technology: the equipment is installed 100m below sea level with Eurotunnel’s Shuttles running on a high speed rail network through the Tunnel. 4G will bring data download speeds up to 10 times faster than the existing 3G network. It will enable passengers, on both Le Shuttle and high speed passenger trains, to use their phone or tablet anywhere in the Tunnel to listen to music, watch videos, download and share data as easily as they can at home.
To keep ahead of the competition, Eurotunnel invests continuously to bring the latest technologies to its Le Shuttle transport system and to respond to the growing demand for communications from passengers.
Eurotunnel Chief Operating Officer, Michel Boudoussier stated;
“ This new service means we can offer our customers incredible connectivity and astonishing access to mobile services, bringing better information for passengers, allowing them to remain operational and make their journey a real opportunity to relax”.
