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Some NYC Subway Stations Outfitted with Wi-Fi

April 26, 2013

By Paul Thomson :: 2:31 PM

NYC brings Wi-Fi and cell service to subways.Over 30 subway stations in New York City have been outfitted with Wi-Fi and cellular telephone reception capabilities.

The first phase in a multi-year plan to bring connectivity to the subterranean transportation system, the eventual goal is to bring wireless connectivity to over 275 stations. “It is a befitting tribute to our mission to enable state-of-the-art wireless service to all of the underground subway stations by kicking it off underneath the most famous crossroads in the world: Times Square,” exclaimed  Transit Wireless CEO Bill Bayne.

Bayne’s company and the city’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) originally launched a pilot program in 2011 that offered Wi-Fi and cellphone service at select stations along the L, A/C/E, and 1/2/3 subway lines. Service is expected to expand to the remaining 241 subway stations by 2018. The plan calls for platforms in Queens and Midtown Manhattan to be next on the list, followed by the East Side of Manhattan and the Bronx.

The company spent around $200 million to design and build the network, and partnered with hotspot providers Boingo, T-Mobile, and AT&T Wireless to generate revenue for the project.

NYC commuters can check the subway’s wireless status for stations on a website established by Transit Wireless.