App toolkit vendor 5app has launched a competition for app developers, to create an enterprise app taking advantage of the London Undergrounds wi-fi network.

As anyone whos tried to use the network, first introduced in July, will know, its problematic for anything more than a quick email check. With only selected platforms having wi-fi, a trip on the tube means an intermittent data connection at best.

And so 5app – whose toolkit enables developers of enterprise apps which need to constantly exchange data with back office systems deal with intermittent data connectivity – has challenged developers to come up with an app created using its toolkit which incorporates two way data communication between a remote system and the mobile user as they ride the tube.

“There is a common assumption that a mobile device is always connected, but even in major cities like London your own experience will tell you that this is simply not the case,” says 5app CTO Tim King. “Data connectivity comes and goes as you enter tunnels and whilst the Wi-Fi may be present in the stations it will cut out as soon as you leave the station. Utilising 5app’s toolkit, developers can create multi-platform mobile apps which can deal with intermittent data connections.”

Interested developers can find out more at the competition page, and must submit their entries by 25 September. The winning developer will be awarded with the new iPad and a year’s free subscription to the 5app service.