VoIP phones underground

Commuters in Glasgow will soon be able to make calls on their VoIP phones while they wait at Subway stations, after new plans unveiled by O2.

Both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity will be available at five of the city's busiest stations, including Buchanan Street, St Enoch and Hillhead, meaning Subway users will be able to call on conventional mobiles as well as VoIP phones.

The network, which should be available in December of this year, comes after a deal between the provider and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT).

Connectivity may be extended to other platforms and even the trains themselves in future.

"This has been sometime in the planning but I'm delighted that we can offer this service to our passengers in time for Christmas," said Gordon Maclennan of SPT.

"It's a first for Glasgow and it opens the door for wider Wi-Fi coverage in the underground in future."

O2 said the investment in Glasgow could be a precursor to other cities, like London, making connectivity available in underground stations.