LACMTA Considering Cell Service for Subways Options

[CNJRoss]

Brentwood (CA) Patch, 5/18:

Metro Considering Cell Service for Subways
The agency received a status report Thursday on the feasibility of cell phone and wi-fi service on the Red and Purple Lines.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority released a status update memo Thursday, May 17, on an ongoing project to potentially provide cellular phone and wi-fi service on Red and Purple Line subway trains.

The report notes that other agencies, including the Bay Area Rapid Transit system in San Francisco, provide similar systems, and suggests that providing cell service could improve safety on the underground trains and on platforms.

Continue.

[KevinKorell]

WiFi wasn't as popular yet as it is today, but IIRC when we rode BART for our NoCal Fest in 2007, there was cell phone service but it was limited to just the stations. Once your train left the platform and entered the tunnel, reception was lost. So wiring just the platforms would benefit those who can surf or talk within the time they are waiting for a train, but once aboard and in the tunnels, that ability would be lost. It could be by now that the capablities were extended to trains, but is it the same network? Remember that Amtrak has separate internet providers for its stations vs its trains, so if you are online and leave the station and board a train, you're going to have to connect all over again.

Philly does have cell service within its tunnels and stations, at least for AT&T customers. They better, considering that AT&T bought naming rights to one station. Not sure if one can be online by computer, but then I'm not about to bring out my laptop on a Philly subway because I may never see it again.