In line with its ambition to innovate and to improve customer service, Eurotunnel, in partnership with the French mobile operators, will install a 2G (GSM900, DCS1800) and 3G (UMTS 2100) GSM-P telephone system which will allow Le Shuttle and high speed passenger train customers to use their mobile telephones inside the Channel Tunnel, in time for the Olympic Games.

Offering a Wi-Fi service 100 metres below sea level, to the almost 20 million customers who travel through the 53km of the Channel Tunnel every year is to be a world first.

The installation, which will cost 14 million euros, has been made possible by the signature of an agreement, on 6 March 2012, at the French Ministry for the Economy, Finance and Industry by Eurotunnel and the telecoms operators in France, Bouygues Telecom, Orange SFR and Free1.

The installation of this additional, mobile telecommunications service has been made possible as Eurotunnel is already in the process of installing the latest version of GSM-R railway signalling equipment. The choice of the same equipment supplier for both GSM-P and GSM-R, Alcatel-Lucent, will ensure the compatibility of the infrastructure and enable costs to be controlled whilst accelerating the installation.

(Source: Eurotunnel)