British cableco Virgin Media has confirmed that as of yesterday its previously free Wi-Fi service offered on the London Underground would now be charged for. However, the operator has revealed that customers signed up to any of its home services will continue to be able to access the service without cost. Further, wholesale agreements mean that the respective customer bases of mobile operators EE and Vodafone can also make use of the wireless broadband connection without any additional charges. For those customers not able to take advantage of the service for free, a range of tariffs for access have been released, with prices starting from GBP2 (USD3.14) per day to GBP15 for a monthly pass. In addition, Virgin Media has announced that it will run a special offer in February 2013, giving those passengers signing up for the monthly pass a three-month pass for the price of a single month.
In terms of the network rollout itself, Virgin Media has also announced that a further eleven stations are to come online this week, including Hampstead, Tooting Broadway and Great Portland Street; these new locations will add to the 92 London Underground stations where the cableco’s Wi-Fi service has already been deployed. Looking ahead, Virgin Media has said it expects to reach around 120 stations by the end of March 2013.