Phone coverage across the London tube sent me hurtling down a tunnel of despair

By the end of 2026, 4G and 5G coverage will extend across the entire London Underground, reaching 121 subterranean stations after months of delays. The rollout involves hundreds of miles of fibre and a workforce of roughly 700 and brings the network in line with Paris and Berlin. It promises clear practical gains: commuters can work more easily en route, delays in tunnels become communicable, and the new infrastructure will host the Emergency Services Network so first responders can access vital information underground. The upgrade builds on existing partial coverage - around 60% today - but completes the move to permanent perma-connectivity.

The piece argues that this technical achievement exacts a social and psychological cost: the tube has long been one of the few public spaces where people could legitimately switch off, delay replies and allow boredom or daydreaming to happen, which benefits mental health. Constant connectivity abolishes that refuge, normalises immediate demands from bosses and clients, and fuels phone addiction and doomscrolling. It also degrades public etiquette, with more loud media and on-speaker calls. While acknowledging the rollout’s benefits and inevitability, the tone is one of frustration and mourning for a small, diminishing space free from the pressures of always being available.