Metro Mobile Signal Availability

Since 2018, the Prague Public Transit Company (DPP) has been working with a number of Czech mobile phone operators (O2 Czech Republic, T-Mobile Czech Republic, Vodafone Czech Republic) and CETIN company to provide high-speed, 4G LTE connectivity in the Prague metro.

To provide complete 4G LTE coverage in its metro tunnels, DPP has installed a radiating cable (approximately 5 cm diameter) type network. The only exception to this is in the newest section of Metro Line A – Bořislavka, Nádraží Veleslavín, Petřiny and Nemocnice Motol – where an LTE network, providing phone and high-speed data connectivity, was installed as part of the initial construction.

180 Minute Installation Window

All work on the installation of the LTE network has had to take place during regular nighttime subway closure times, which last for approximately three hours. However, network installation work can’t be done every night as priority has to be given to essential reconstruction and repair work to stations and tunnels plus all of the other activities necessary to maintain the full operability of the metro system. To install this special radiating type of coaxial cable, it is first necessary to drill and insert plastic clips into the tunnel walls. These plastic clips are used instead of metal ones in order to eliminate the risk of signal interference.

Up to 2,748 Meters between Stations 

The speed with which the new LTE network can be installed between stations has been highly dependent on the amount (length) of cable that needs to be installed. The shorted section of tunnel runs between Muzeum and Hlavním nádraží (425 meters) and the longest section runs between Nádraží Holešovice and Kobylisy (2,748 meters). As many as 70 technicians can be involved at any given time in a single installation project. It takes at least 50 hours to establish a 4G LTE network in one station; and, to install the network cables in both directions of the tunnel between any two stations takes approximately 2 months.