New York Signs US$600 Million Deal to Put Mobile in Subway Tunnels

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City has announced plans to roll out mobile cellular services across all its subway tunnels. BAI-backed, Transit Wireless, which has been working with the MTA for 15 years, has been signed up for the estimated US$600 million build.  

Transit Wireless has already installed WiFi at 273 New York Subway stations and has also supplied mobile connectivity on the city’s L-Line looping under the East River.

The MTA said the build out may take up to ten years and that it plans to add free WiFi connections at all above-ground stations and at Staten Island Railway stops.

Deputy Chief Development Officer for planning at the MTA, Fredericka Cuenca, reportedly said at the recent agency board meeting “People today they want to be able to send emails, or texts, or look at their news feed or do whatever through their entire trip and not have their connection phase in and out as they’re going through the tunnels from one station to another.”

Once Transit Wireless has recouped its initial investment in the infrastructure – via licensing fees, monetizing data analytics, and renting out fibre to private companies – it will share its future revenues with the MTA.

The contract, which the MTA’s Finance Committee approved Monday but still needs full board approval, covers 20 years of operation by Transit Wireless with two five-year extension options.

In June 2021 BAI won the £1 billion contract to install mobile connectivity throughout the tunnels in the London Underground network.

Track-side connectivity and on-board WiFi services will be the main subjects of BWCS’s WiFi on Trains Conference in October (www.Traincomms.com ).

The Full Programme is Available now at the website, where you can also sign up for our Free WiFi on Trains News Service (www.Traincomms.com ).

Or, to discuss exhibiting at the conference, please contact Ross.Parsons@BWCS.com

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