NEW YORK—Verizon will be bringing wireless cell phone service to New York City’s subway stations, the company announced on Aug. 20.
Verizon signed a contract with Transit Wireless, which already provides mobile service at 36 subway stations for AT&T and T-Mobile customers. Verizon customers can expect to receive service at the same 36 subway stations by the end of the year.
Transit Wireless is at work rolling out cell service to 40 new stations—including Grand Central Station, 34th St. Herald Square, and Bryant Park in midtown Manhattan, as well as stations in Queens—by the end of 2014. The company plans to bring service to all 277 subway stations in New York City by 2017.
“Bringing wireless service into the New York City subway has been a big step forward for our customers, and we’re pleased that even more of them will be able to take advantage of it,” MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast stated in a press release. “The ability to make and receive phone calls underground is an important improvement for safety and security as well as convenience, and our customers will certainly appreciate it.”
The Transit Wireless network operates from a base station where wireless carriers co-locate their equipment. The signal is then carried through ducts under the city’s streets via fiber-optic cable to the subway stations. Antennas are placed throughout the stations to provide seamless service from the ground above to the station below.
“Verizon Wireless is always exploring opportunities to expand our network coverage for our customers no matter where they are—above ground or below,” Patrick Devlin, regional president for Verizon Wireless, stated in a press release.
For current service availability visit: nycsubwaywireless.com
