New York Subway Stations With Wireless Service Climb to 36

By Michelle Maisto  |  Posted 2013-04-26

New York City's subway system is no longer a wireless dead zone in a highly connected city. The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), which runs the system, and Transit Wireless, a neutral party created to host the networks of multiple carriers, announced April 25 that 36 of the most highly trafficked stations in Manhattan now offer wireless service from T-Mobile and AT&T, as well as WiFi service from Boingo Wireless. During a press conference inside the 42nd Street station, representatives from Verizon Wireless and Sprint announced they were finalizing agreements to also participate in the effort. The April addition of 30 new stations to six that went live in September 2011 marks the end of Phase 1 in a seven-phase plan. Phase 2, already under way, includes an additional 40 stations, with Grand Central Station among them. The entire project, covering 277 stations, is expected to be complete by 2017 at a cost of $200 million to $250 million, which the carriers and Transit Wireless will cover. The service will offer enhanced communications to MTA employees and first responders in an emergency, while the 1.6 billion people who ride the subway annually will be able to place calls, text and email, listen to music, stream video, play games and more easily figure out how to get from here to there.