Prague extends mobile coverage in the metro to include 86% of stations

LTE and 5G network service has been extended through two additional Prague metro stations and their adjacent tunnels this weekend, as Ládví on line C and Strašnická on line A now boast mobile signal coverage.

The two new stations bring the total number of stations with network service on the Prague metro up to 53 out of a total of 61 stations.

As work on installing network service continues, an additional seven stations will be covered by the end the end of 2021: Skalka and Depot Hostivař on line A, Rajská zahrada and Černý Most on line B, and Střížkov, Prosek, and Letňany on line C.

That leaves Jiřího z Poděbrad on line A as the very last station that mobile signal service will be extended to, but passengers will have to wait a little while longer for 100% coverage on the Prague metro. LTE and 5G network installation at Jiřího z Poděbrad will only take place after planned renovations including new barrier-free elevators that are scheduled to be completed in 2024.

Network coverage on the Prague metro extends not just to the stations but also their connecting tunnels, meaning riders can enjoy uninterrupted phone calls or internet access once the work is complete.

Work on installing network coverage throughout Prague's metro has been ongoing since 2018 in cooperation with the Czech Republic's major operators. Coverage has been slowly added to all stations and tunnels save for the newest additions on line A (Bořislavka, Nádraží Veleslavín, Petřiny and Nemocnice Motol) which came installed with LTE when they debuted in 2015.

The installation work has been carried out during a small overnight window over the past three years during which the Prague metro does not operate. Technicians only have about three hours per night to carry out their work, and other renovation work has taken priority over the installation of network service.

On average, it takes around 70 technicians in the range of two months to complete installation of mobile signal coverage at a single Prague metro station and its adjacent tunnels.

Ultimately, the time of installation depends on the length of the tunnels between the stations. This distance ranges from just 425 meters between Muzeum and Hlavní nádraží on line C to nearly three kilometers (2,748 meters) between Nádraží Holešovice and Kobylisy on the same line.