drcommute   •   Updated September 2021

Wi-Fi has moved from being an optional extra to something essential for the 21st century rail passenger, so we welcome any improvements to capacity and coverage. It should become absolutely standard for all trains on the British railway network to have seamless connectivity, as it’s essential for attracting the smartphone connected generation to rail, as well as the business traveller working on the move. Very soon trains without wi-fi will become unthinkable, and rail passengers will look forward to the day when the phone doesn’t cut out in tunnels.

– Railfuture – Bruce Williamson

Dear commuter. As we all know, Wi-Fi is what keeps us connected to the World. As a daily commuter myself, choosing a reliable network for commuters can be quite challenging. Above all, it is during my commute that I get work done so ultimately a stable network is important. Wi-Fi in the UK, either on the train or underground, can be unreliable. But good news, an undisturbed Wi-Fi and 5G connection could be “dramatically improved by 2025“. Fingers crossed ladies and gentlemen.

I will make this very simple for you. Let’s start by breaking it down, shall we?

In the UK there are 4 mobile networks that dominate the market:

• EE
• O2
• Vodfone
• Three

Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) “piggyback” from these four main networks and they are:

• BT Mobile, Virgin Mobile, PlusNet mobile, Utility Warehouse use EE coverage
• Giffgaff, Sky Mobile, Lycamobile, Tesco Mobile use O2 coverage
•  iD Mobile, SMARTY use Three coverage
•  Voxi, ASDA mobile (previously used EE Coverage), Lebara uses Vodafone coverage

Most importantly, you ask, what is the best mobile network for commuters?

Let’s have a look at what the evidence says:

Based on a study released in April 2021 by OpenSignal by far EE dominated the consumer experience nationwide. Vodafone came first in the voice app experience and there was a tie between the game experience between EE and Vodafone. This report also shows an amazing improvement in the upload experience offered by O2.

RootMetrics research demonstrated EE as the best performance network in the UK. Followed by Vodafone in Wales and England and finally O2 for Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Still undecided? Ofcon’s mobile coverage checker can help you analyse which coverage provider is available during your commute.

Check it out!

First, what type of commuter are you?

Second, which mobile network do you consider to be an appealing choice for yourself?

• A brand new handset with no upfront cost as well as a possible upgrade to the latest mobile phone every 2 years
• Free repairs and replacements within the contract time
• You don’t want to worry about monitoring your topping up or credit (but be careful with your usage)
• Disadvantage: a contract for 12-24 months plus the possibility of being a more expensive option

If you are pleased with these statements, it is possible a mobile contract is a good option for you.

Assuming that you are more like me and prefer:

• Cheaper monthly deals
• More flexibility
• No contracts
• Disadvantage: You may need to pay upfront or own a handset

It is likely, a PAYG plan can best match your needs.

PAYG options are:

• PAYG Bundles usually for regular users: you pay upfront a monthly fixed amount for a package with a certain amount of minutes, texts, and data
• Classic/Traditional PAYG recommended for light users: you pay for each minute, message, and megabyte used

The PAYG system works through the use of a small piece of plastic chip that is inserted into your mobile phone, generating your identity (phone number, contacts..). This little brain (SIM cards) which is getting smaller every year, can either be linked to one of the four main mobile networks, as mentioned above, or work as a piggyback from one of the leading UK networks.

Here are some examples of PAYG options:

At present time, whilst commuting on the London underground, 4G Wi-Fi is only available on ticket halls, walkways, at the platforms and since March 2020 the pilot section between Westminster and Canning Town (eastern half of the Jubilee line). Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi coverage is interrupted in almost all of the other lines, as a result, this puts us behind major cities around the world. Currently, the difficulty encountered in the London undergrounds is that the tunnels are narrow and date back to more than 150 years. For this reason, it has been a challenge mentioned several times. Nevertheless, the promise to enable flawless connectivity to Wi-Fi from 2021 throughout the London underground network is a milestone eagerly awaited by all commuters.

Wi-Fi services on the London underground are provided by Virgin Media.

Finally, if you are a customer of one of these networks, please follow the instructions or visit their website to connect to the Wi-Fi:

To sum things up, I have gathered in one simple table, all the Wi-Fi networks for commuters offered by different UK’s national rail companies. Also, I will focus on 4 main areas with links to each relevant website for further information: