For harrassed professionals and frazzled office workers, the underground remains one of the few places where the intrusive chirp of the mobile phone and the chatter of its users cannot be heard. Deep in a city's subterranean network, the journey home from work is a break from chatter.

In Glasgow, however, all that is about to change, as the city's subway prepares to switch on Britain's first subterranean mobile telephone network, paving the way for mobile reception on London's Tube.

The service, which starts in December, will be provided by O2, which will become the UK's first operator to use the technology that enables mobile phones to work underground.

A so-called multi-user distribution antenna system is being installed in five of Glasgow's busiest subway stations - Buchanan Street, St Enoch, Kelvinbridge, Hillhead and Partick - with plans already in hand to roll out the scheme through the tunnels. O2 customers will be able to make calls and send texts on 2G networks, as well as surfing the internet and sending picture messages over a 3G connection.

A spokesman for O2 said: “We're looking at how successful it will be. There is every chance we will extend it to the complete network at some point in the coming years.

“The technology is there to allow people to communicate underground. There is no reason why this could not be done in other underground networks around the country.”

The technology has been around for several years - in Japan it is possible to get a mobile signal on the underground - and plans to roll out a similar network in the UK are not new. In London, Tube bosses tried for years to extend mobile reception underground but have been hampered by the cost and technical difficulties.

Last year London Underground [LU] announced that it would provide mobile phone reception for a six-month trial on the Waterloo & City line, including the station platforms as well as the tunnel between Bank and Waterloo stations.

According to LU, a survey revealed that 56 per cent of passengers would be likely to use their mobiles across all parts of the Tube network, including trains and stations, if they could, while 19 per cent were strongly opposed to the idea.

LU admitted that plans unveiled in 2005 to have a mobile network on the Tube by this year had to be abandoned due to the “unique physical and environmental constraints” of the London underground network.

The Glasgow Subway contract has been negotiated between O2, Arqiva, one of the two main transmitter and broadcast networks in the United Kingdom, and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport.

Gordon Maclennan, SPT's assistant chief executive said: “This has been some time in the planning but I'm delighted that we can offer this service to our passengers in time for Christmas.

“It is a first for Glasgow and it opens the door for wider wi-fi coverage in the underground in future. Accessibility and connectivity are key parts of our continuous subway modernisation programme.”

Arqiva provides equipment for mobile transmission in areas such as shopping centres and airports.

Andy Norris, the company's customer delivery director said: “Wireless access is increasingly expected in public areas. The infrastructure provided at these stations will support many new services and opportunities.”

In Glasgow's subway tunnels however, the reaction from some commuters was less enthusiastic.

“Heaven protect us from this,” said one tired businessman last night as he prepared to take the Buchanan Street train to Govan. “Is there to be no escape from that bloody sound?”

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