Virgin Media chosen to deliver Wi-Fi to 80 tube stations for Olympics

Virgin Media has been selected to deliver Wi-Fi to 80 tube stations on the London Underground in time for the Olympics, with 120 locations to be live by the end of the year, according to by the Mayor's Office digital London director, Kulveer Ranger.

Speaking at the Digital London event on Wednesday, Ranger revealed the deal has been signed and should be installed in time for the Olympics in July.

Ranger told V3 that the first rollout locations had been chosen to ensure the best possible coverage for those travelling to the Olympic venues.

"There is a lot of work that has gone in to that, it's about enabling that kind of access to happen before the games," he said.

Virgin has said that initially the service will be free for commuters, although after the Olympics has finished users will be charged on a pay-as-you go basis for access.

The rollout of Wi-Fi on the tube network has been touted for some time, and the deal will mean visitors to the city travelling during the Games will be able to access the web via device such as smartphones and tablets.

Free public Wi-Fi rollouts are increasingly being pushed out across London, with O2 recently announcing that the boroughs of Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea will have free Wi-Fi access in time for the Olympics.