EE and Vodafone have both announced that they are building a 4G network inside the Channel Tunnel between the UK and France. The service is part of a 10-year agreement with Eurotunnel and will open in summer this year - for EE customers initially - and will cover the entire 35-minute journey while passengers are in the tunnel itself.

The 4G network will be accessible by all EE customers signed to a 4G plan and using a 4G-enabled phone. It will cover the lines for both the Eurotunnel shuttle for car transport and the Eurostar train for passengers. Vodafone will open its 4G service to customers "in the future".

"We're proud to offer customers a superfast 4G service when they’re travelling from the UK into Europe. It's another technology first for EE, and it’s one that will make a big difference to business workers and people going away on holiday," said Fotis Karonis, EE's chief technology officer.

"Being connected is such an important part of travelling now and this will be another route we've covered with 4G, making a huge difference to millions of customers who can now make the most of their journey time."

EE recently announced that it had reached two million 4G customers in the UK. It is not yet known how many Vodafone has signed to its network.

The North Tunnel from UK to France will also be covered by 2G and 3G mobile data services from March, thanks to the 10-year deal, which will cover both EE and Vodafone networks.

Please note: We have updated the above story to include the fact that the EE 4G network will be the first to open. Vodafone's will follow in the future. The initial deal covers 2G and 3G services.