Huawei offers free coverage of the London Underground with a mobile network.

The Chinese technology giant Huawei is offering to install a mobile phone network worth £ 50 million (about $ 80 million) for the 2012 London Olympics for free.

The launch of the mobile network in the London Underground has been under discussion for a number of years, but was never implemented due to budget constraints. Huawei presents the offer as a gift to the nation that will receive the Olympic Games from the nation that hosted the previous games, the Sunday Times reported.
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Huawei proposes to install mobile radio stations along the ceiling of the tunnels, so that visitors to the subway can make and receive calls.

Mobile operators, including Vodafone and O2, agreed to pay for installation work, while Huawei hopes to receive a service charge.

Transport for London (TfL) - the official body responsible for the transport system in the capital - said that negotiations on covering the metro with a mobile network began, although it did not confirm Huawei’s participation. A TfL spokesperson said: "Transport for London and the Mayor of London are currently negotiating with mobile operators and other providers about the possibilities of providing mobile services in the subway."

However, the Conservative Party member of the British Parliament, Patrick Mercer, believes that allowing a Chinese company to establish a mobile network could be a threat to national security. Huawei has long been accused of having links with the Chinese military.