All 279 underground subway stations in NYC will be covered by Dec. 31, Transit Wireless tells us.

Dan Jones, Mobile Editor

November 28, 2016

2 Min Read
NYC Subway WiFi Project Is a New Year Wrap

WiFi warriors, come out to play!

Transit Wireless has covered more than 230 NYC subway stations with WiFi and now says it will be done with the wireless LAN deployment by the end of the year. Transit Wireless LLC was first awarded a 25-year contract by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to deploy and maintain cellular and WiFi service across the New York subway system in 2007.

The company uses WiFi hotspots and a distributed antenna system (DAS) -- connected via fiber to its basestation hotels -- to offer the service across the underground stations in the NYC subway system. All of the major US mobile operators are offering varying degrees of cellphone coverage underground now. (See Transit Wireless Accelerates WiFi Deployment in NYC Subway and Transit Wireless: Unwiring the NYC Subway.)

Transit Wireless told me Monday morning that the WiFi deployment will be completed by December 31 of this year. I can confirm that the deployment in Brooklyn now covers the entire A, C and L lines, and at least part of the F line.

For all the latest news on mobile, visit the dedicated mobile site here on Light Reading.

Transit Wireless had initially said it would complete the combined cellular and WiFi deployment by the end of 2017. The focus on getting WiFi done first is basically the company handling the part of the rollout that it can deliver without waiting for the carriers to deploy equipment in its basestation hotels.

All the major carriers are signed on for the service. They aren't, however, all deploying on the same schedule. Transit Wireless tells me that cellular services can follow swiftly on the heels of WiFi when the 4G basestations are in place.

— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading

About the Author(s)

Dan Jones

Mobile Editor

Dan is to hats what Will.I.Am is to ridiculous eyewear. Fedora, trilby, tam-o-shanter -- all have graced the Jones pate during his career as the go-to purveyor of mobile essentials.

But hey, Dan is so much more than 4G maps and state-of-the-art headgear. Before joining the Light Reading team in 2002 he was an award-winning cult hit on Broadway (with four 'Toni' awards, two 'Emma' gongs and a 'Brian' to his name) with his one-man show, "Dan Sings the Show Tunes."

His perfectly crafted blogs, falling under the "Jonestown" banner, have been compared to the works of Chekhov. But only by Dan.

He lives in Brooklyn with cats.

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