Calling for a phone signal? Do you love or loathe mobile phones?
By Carron Taylor
Love them or loathe them, mobile phones will likely be working at deep level Tube stations near you by 2008.
Transport for London (TfL), which manages the London Underground, is about to begin a two-month feasibility study looking at what is needed to install mobile phone transmitters underground.
A spokesman for TfL said it would be looking at four deep-level stations in central London to see what was needed for the scheme to operate, which would allow passengers to access digital broadcast services as well.
He said a survey into what passengers wanted, carried out over a year ago, revealed they wanted a phone signal on platforms and in station passageways, but not on Tubes or in tunnels.
He said: "We are very much led by what our passengers want. What we now need to do is investigate the issue of space."
He said once the technology had been looked at another survey into "passenger perceptions" would take place to find out how they would feel about the technology being extended to carriages.
"Our message would be if the technology was ever extended it would need to be respectful. It is an option if passengers want it, but if they did we would have to be acutely sensitive to those who did not," he said.
A spokeswoman from the anti-mast campaign group Mast Sanity spoke out against the development.
Sian Meredith said that when you are inside a metal box, in this case a Tube carriage, and people used their mobile phones they emited lots of microwave radiation.
She said: "Apart from a possible terrorist threat, who knows what we could be experiencing. It's highly irresponsible to have such emission levels in such an enclosed space, there's nowhere for it to escape."
Ms Meredith said another worrying factor concerned what protection was going to be afforded to train drivers and people with electro-sensitivity.
"There are ongoing surveys looking into the issue of microwave radiation which haven't made their conclusions yet. How can this technology be put in such a confined space without us knowing what the effects will be?" she added.
A spokesman for TfL said the technology would not be up and running before early 2008 but the contract would likely go out to tender next year.
What's your opinion? Email dtilley@london.newsquest.co.uk
12:31pm today
© Copyright 2001-2006 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/display.var.743864.0.calling_for_a_phone_signal.php
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My contribution... Sylvia
Betreff: Tube phone coverage
Von: SylviaWright
Datum: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 11:37:34 EDT
An: dtilley@london.newsquest.co.uk
I wonder if any decision maker has considered (or cares) whether the safety guidelines - such as they are - will be exceeded by dozens of people making mobile calls and using their laptops wirelessly at the same time within a confined metal box? Especially in view of the fact that 02 recently recalled on of its phones as it was in danger of catching fire!
Regards
Cllr Sylvia Wright
From Mast Sanity/Mast Network
--------
Mobile coverage for London Underground
http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/1844661/
Love them or loathe them, mobile phones will likely be working at deep level Tube stations near you by 2008.
Transport for London (TfL), which manages the London Underground, is about to begin a two-month feasibility study looking at what is needed to install mobile phone transmitters underground.
A spokesman for TfL said it would be looking at four deep-level stations in central London to see what was needed for the scheme to operate, which would allow passengers to access digital broadcast services as well.
He said a survey into what passengers wanted, carried out over a year ago, revealed they wanted a phone signal on platforms and in station passageways, but not on Tubes or in tunnels.
He said: "We are very much led by what our passengers want. What we now need to do is investigate the issue of space."
He said once the technology had been looked at another survey into "passenger perceptions" would take place to find out how they would feel about the technology being extended to carriages.
"Our message would be if the technology was ever extended it would need to be respectful. It is an option if passengers want it, but if they did we would have to be acutely sensitive to those who did not," he said.
A spokeswoman from the anti-mast campaign group Mast Sanity spoke out against the development.
Sian Meredith said that when you are inside a metal box, in this case a Tube carriage, and people used their mobile phones they emited lots of microwave radiation.
She said: "Apart from a possible terrorist threat, who knows what we could be experiencing. It's highly irresponsible to have such emission levels in such an enclosed space, there's nowhere for it to escape."
Ms Meredith said another worrying factor concerned what protection was going to be afforded to train drivers and people with electro-sensitivity.
"There are ongoing surveys looking into the issue of microwave radiation which haven't made their conclusions yet. How can this technology be put in such a confined space without us knowing what the effects will be?" she added.
A spokesman for TfL said the technology would not be up and running before early 2008 but the contract would likely go out to tender next year.
What's your opinion? Email dtilley@london.newsquest.co.uk
12:31pm today
© Copyright 2001-2006 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/display.var.743864.0.calling_for_a_phone_signal.php
--------
My contribution... Sylvia
Betreff: Tube phone coverage
Von: SylviaWright
Datum: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 11:37:34 EDT
An: dtilley@london.newsquest.co.uk
I wonder if any decision maker has considered (or cares) whether the safety guidelines - such as they are - will be exceeded by dozens of people making mobile calls and using their laptops wirelessly at the same time within a confined metal box? Especially in view of the fact that 02 recently recalled on of its phones as it was in danger of catching fire!
Regards
Cllr Sylvia Wright
From Mast Sanity/Mast Network
--------
Mobile coverage for London Underground
http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/1844661/
rudkla - 27. Apr, 16:50
