Those commuters who like to use the railways as their makeshift offices will be delighted to hear the pledge by the government to provide supersonic speed to internet connections on UK’s trains.
The Conservative Party has announced plans to upgrade broadband facilities in carriages which, it claims, will supersede even the speeds they can get in their homes. The Tories say 50mb-a-second broadband will be rolled out from 2015 and most people will have access by 2019, according to the Metro. Signal blackspots will also be targeted in the scheme.
The grand promises were made at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester by transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin and will be a lifeline for those passengers who are frustrated by their increasingly demanding online presence and lack of reliable connection on the country’s railways.
Mr McLoughlin said: “There are few things more frustrating than trying to phone a friend or access the internet, only to be thwarted by bad signal. Passengers deserve to have the best mobile technology and that is why I am pleased that industry is coming together to make that a reality.’
However fantastic the plans may appear though, they are not without their sceptics. Shadow business secretary, Chuka Umunna, said the promises were ‘hard to believe’ after the mismanagement and frustration involving the lack of fast broadband available in rural parts of the country.
USwitch research has revealed about 70 per cent of commuters in the UK use internet devices such as phones or tablets. For the changes to take place Network Rail would have to update line fibre optics and train operators would have to install signalling equipment.
Whether the plans will go ahead and to schedule remains to be seen. In the meantime, keep clicking that refresh button.