New York to wire subway for mobiles

New York City Transit has reached a ten-year, $46.8 million deal with Transit Wireless to deliver cell phone service to all New York City subway stations.

TW will pay for the installation and charge cell phone companies a fee to use the underground network.

It will take two years to wire up the first six stations in downtown Manhattan. If everything works properly, the program will be expanded. [NYT]

If everything goes according to plan, all 277 underground stations will get cell phone service within 6 years. Unfortunately, the tunnels won't be wired.
 

I'm thrilled to hear that cell phone service is coming to the MTA. If Transit Wireless delivers on its promises, cell service will make the subway safer and more convenient.

Gothamist has more.

Comments

[zuzu]

Are we going to get charged roaming fees for using the network?

[Lindsay Beyerstein]

Probably. Cell phone companies will pay TW. So, I'm sure they'll pass the costs on to users somehow.

[fishbane]

Can't argue with the safety angle, but I personally like having the phone not work for an hour a day. Uninterruptible reading time. But then, I don't like cell phones anyway, and resent having to have one.

[Uncle Kvetch]

I'm thrilled to hear that cell phone service is coming to the MTA.

"Hello? HELLO? Hey, it's me. What's going on? I said WHAT'S GOING ON? WHAT? Nothing, I'm on the subway. What? No, THE SUBWAY! Hold on, you're dropping out. WHAT? I said YOU'RE DROPPING OUT!! Six train, downtown. No, DOWNTOWN! Yeah. So, anyway, what's going on? What? I said... WHAT? I SAID WHAT'S GOING ON?!? Yeah, nothing with me either. What? I SAID..."

I can't wait.

[Glenn Raucher]

I totally understand this: "Cell service will make the subway safer and more convenient."

But, being a frequent rider of public transportation of all kinds: LIRR, Metro North, buses, etc...the cell phone racket can become oppressive, as most people do not practice good phone etiquette--loud talking, obnoxious ring tones, etc...I liked the fact that the subway was one place you could actually escape the cell phone abuse. (Although the subway is the loudest conveyance of all the public transports...)

[Katha Pollitt]

It used to be fun to take Amtrak, or even Metro North. Now you're subjected to everyone's phone calls. Their LOUD, uninhibited, I'm-the-only-person-in-the-universe phone calls. Maybe once in your life you will be truly glad you can use your cell phone on the subway. The rest of the time you'll be driven half-mad by other people's use of same.

[Candice]

The subway tunnels in Chicago are now wired for cell-phones, but only if you use US Cellular, which I imagine, is how they managed to pay for it. But I would assume that it is possible for others to call 911, so maybe this is something that could be copied in other cities. Of course, we don't have nearly as many underground tunnels to worry about.

What Uncle Kvetch posted above is absolutely the way things are, by the way. Most of our tracks are above-ground here, so there are always people yelling over the noise of the train. Luckily, not everyone uses a phone that works on the available network, so I can still look forward to relative quiet when the trains go underground.

[The Phantom]

Unfortunately, the tunnels won't be wired.

No, that's the most fortunate aspect of the whole arrangement.

Let's face it--the majority of people who use cell phones in crowded places are rude and inconsiderate. They speak their inane bullshit in louder-than-normal voices, without considering the rights of their neighbors.

If the MTA was stupid enough to allow for cell phones to be used in all the ultracrowded subway cars, especially in rush hour, it would be an major deterioration of an already rough travel experience. There would be confrontations. There would be fights. Take that to the bank.

It would be equally insane to allow the use of mobile phones on aircraft in flight. If you want to have more incidents from already stressed and uncomfortable passengers, then that's a fine way to do it.

Allow for the use of internet, text messaging, Blackberrys, thats all fine. Cell phones--no way in a supercrowded conveyance like a subway or airplane where people have to spend long periods of time. I'd like the NY subways altered the other way round, so that the cells cannot be used when the trains are outside.

Katha

Last week, I took the Amtrak Acela Express from Providence to New York. By total coincidence, I boarded the "quiet car" (second from last car) where loud conversation and all cell phone usage is prohibited.

I was so happy-it was as if I had won the lottery. The train was comfortable, on time, and peaceful.

There are quiet cars on many Amtrak trains. If everyone asks for them, maybe they'll add more quiet cars.

[DustPuppyOI]

I appreciate the safety angle and all but I'm not looking forward to hearing people shouting so that they can be heard over the screeching trains.

[The Phantom]

Roaming?

I suspect --not-- as that would impede some people from using it (not that this would be all bad)

The cell phone companies will have access to a bunch more traffic and will be spared the cost of building and maintaining their own towers for this traffic. They'll just pay "rent" for the use of the MTA system.

[Lindsay Beyerstein]

I bet the fee structure will depend on the cell phone plan you get, at least at first. Maybe eventually subway service will become so widespread and well established that it will seem unthinkable to treat the subway network as separate from the New York network. But at first, it will be a novelty that we'll be expected to pay extra for.

Cellphone companies will pay rent to TW because they believe they can sell this added feature for a profit.

So, each carrier will have to decide how they want to extract the extra bucks from the public. There will probably be a lot of different options. Some plans give you free evenings and weekends, eventually, some will probably start giving free "subway minutes." It's all a marketing thing.

[SanderO]

A bad idea whose time has come.

I am amazed at how many people are messing about with the PDSa and cellphones on the MTA.

I hate the things and only use mine to call someone else... and even that very rarely... usually to tell them I am late, on time or lost. hahaha

[SanderO]

BTW, my Nextel does seem to work inside of many stations.

What they need is a system INSIDE the tunnels which can pick up and 911 call and leave it at that.

[B-Money]

We have cell service in the tunnels of the "L" here in Chicago and it really is not so bad. Although, most of the system is above ground and cell phones are used regularly anyway. You learn to tune them out. No worse than the obnoxiously loud conversation between 2 people. Plus, if need to use your cell, you will. I know a great many people who complain about others but are on their phones non-stop during their commute. Cell phones are part of society and have been around long enough that we should all be used to the annoyance of people yapping about their life loud enough for everyone to hear.

[zuzu]

Of course, if there's a disaster that requires the calling of 911 from the subway, there's a good chance the network will go out anyhow.