Every NYC subway station to have cell service by January 9th

Officials recently promised that all New York City underground subway stations would have cellular coverage by early 2017, and they weren't kidding. Governor Cuomo stated that all active stations will have service from Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile beginning January 9, 2017. Four stations are exceptions, as they are either mid-renovation or set to go through renovations, but they will have service as soon as the construction is finished.

The news comes just a few weeks after Wi-Fi went live at the close of 2016, a full two years earlier than anticipated. The early delivery by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) comes after Cuomo's push to accelerate the project.

“By bringing Wi-Fi and cell service underground ahead of schedule, we are reimagining our subway stations to meet the needs of the next generation,” Cuomo said. “This will better connect New Yorkers who are on-the-go and build on our vision to reimagine the country’s busiest transportation network for the future.”

Key partner Transit Wireless spent over $300 million setting up both phone and Wi-Fi access but can recover its investment through sharing revenue from the network's services.

But not everyone will be ecstatic about this. Those who look for a relief from people using their phones as much as they do in the streets will be disappointed. Those who will appreciate the service underground, do note that you'll still have to go without it in the tunnels. However, the convenience and safety advantages of having cellular service in a city that revolves around the transportation grid is hard to deny.

Source: Engadget