According to the Sunday Times the network is likely to be installed in time to the Olympics, which will be held in London next year. and are expected to foot the bill for installation of the network, while Huawei, which plans to give the equipment to the UK free of charges as a gift from one Olympic nation to another, expects to earn income from maintenance fees.

Huawei was unable to comment on the project but confirmed it was part of the bidding process. "The UK is an important market for Huawei," the company told the .

" and the Mayor of London are currently in discussion with mobile phone operators and other suppliers about the potential provision of mobile phone services on the deep Tube network," said a TfL spokesman.

"Given the financial pressures on TfL's budgets, any solution would need to be funded through mobile operators with no cost to fare or taxpayers. Discussions are ongoing."

The network would ensure Londoners can make calls and access the web from their handsets while travelling on the underground. Offering a mobile network has been something that's been discussed for some time. However, the cost of installing the necessary equipment has long been seen as a barrier.