New York City has been busy testing out a new Wi-Fi service that, once operational, will bring the internet to the millions of underground riders everyday.
The city has been testing the technology used for the service for some time now, though on a low-scale. There were only six stations at first that could offer the service but that number is soon to jump to 36. New York City is aiming to have the entire subway service Wi-Fi ready by 2016 and it’s off to a slow start. The upside is that New York isn’t paying the bill so fay, Transit Wireless and other carriers are footing the bill for the installation, which is projected to cost $200 million by the time its done. These carriers include AT&T, T-Mobile USA, and Boingo Wireless.
“This goes beyond providing cell service underground. It brings our customers a new level of security –with the ability to dial 911 in an emergency,” said Governor Cuomo. “Customers now know that when they see something, they can now say something using their device to call 911. And now with all the major carriers on board, the vast majority of MTA customers will have the ability to do so.”
The other two large carriers that are missing from the list are in negotiations, those two being Verizon and Sprint. This doesn’t include Wi-Fi while traveling, this is for the stations but it’s better than nothing.
“The MTA has been on a clearly defined mission to bring our mass transit system into the 21st century with upgrades to the station environment through several ambitious new-technology communications projects like this one, aimed at improving the travel experiences of our customers while offering another level of security,” said MTA Interim Executive Director Thomas F. Prendergast.
“The New York City subway system is one of the most heavily trafficked systems in the world and now riders have wireless service,” said William A. Bayne Jr., CEO of Transit Wireless. “This network benefits not only riders, but city workers and first responders, and it will be the backbone for future technology and safety improvements to the city’s subway stations.” For a list of the stations you can go to link below.
more info: nyg
photo credit: moriza
