London VoIP users could connect on the Tube

The need to stay connected at all hours of the day has never been more apparent, with smartphones, laptops and tablets making this increasingly realistic.

No matter what a businessman's location, he can typically be reached by his colleagues in the office with relative ease. This is because, in the modern day, he is likely to be carrying a hi-tech device and the equipment to make calls or send messages easily.

However, for companies in London, one common problem could well be the fact that staff typically use the Tube to get around. One might expect there to be no communications infrastructure below ground, but that idea is now out of date.

Broadbandchoices.co.uk has revealed the results of a study it carried out that show there has been a boost in the speed of Wi-Fi on the London Underground since it was introduced prior to the Olympic Games. Indeed, it noted there has been a 44 per cent increase in speeds since the original roll-out.

"London's Tube Wi-Fi has proved to be an unsung hero of the Olympics - keeping travellers online, in touch and able to watch every nail biting moment of the games even if they're stuck on the platform instead of at the stadium," explained the website's telecoms expert Dominic Baliszewski.

Looking to the future, such infrastructure is likely to prove popular with London businesses as it will allow staff to stay connected every single day, long after the final evidence of the Olympics has been removed.

It means those with the latest mobile VoIP solutions should be able to make calls from their Tube station despite being way below the ground. On its own it may not seem to be a huge deal, but it is another step in the right direction as far as keeping London working goes.