Britain's Latest Network Expansion Is Bringing 4G LTE To ... The Channel Tunnel?

by Joe White

January 9, 2014

Over in Britain, passengers travelling between Folkestone and Calais using the Channel Tunnel should soon be able to use their iPhone while in transit, 330 feet below sea level, thanks to carriers Everything Everywhere (EE) and Vodafone.

Starting in March, the carriers will bring 2G and 3G cellular data services to the Channel Tunnel, however by the summer full 4G LTE will be available underground, Groupe Eurotunnel SA announced.

This means passengers on the 35-minute journey will not only be able to make calls and send text messages while travelling, but travellers will also be able to access EE and Vodafone’s cellular data networks in order to surf the Web, stream music, or interact with Internet-based apps.

In a statement, Eurotunnel said:

This will enable passengers of both Le Shuttle and high-speed passenger trains to use their mobile phone or tablet device at any point of the journey through the Channel Tunnel. The quality of communication will be equivalent to a call made in Paris, London or anywhere above ground.

Given that the Channel Tunnel is used by businesspeople commuting between London and Paris, this of course means passengers are going to be able to stay connected for even longer.

In more recent Brit-related news, we heard before the end of 2013 that the BBC could be planning on taking on iTunes with a dedicated BBC Store on-demand streaming service. This came soon after Sky Sports reached Apple TVs in Britain for the first time ever. Europe, on the other hand, looks set to challenge Apple over its use of the Lightning connector, and the European Commission (EC) is still working hard to abolish roaming charges in the next couple of years.

Remember, for more information on Apple’s work outside of the United States, check on our weekly AppAdvice International column.