Of course when you’re talking about the subway, you have to be pretty generous with the term “peace and quiet,” but at least everyone isn’t on their cell phone. However, this will change over the next three years — and dramatically even over the next three months — as the MTA implements its plan to have cell, data and wifi coverage at all train stations city-wide. In this map from WNYC, you can see which stations already have service and which will get it by December.
Even though I can’t say I never desperately wished to make a call while underground, I dread the day when everyone on the train is chatting with someone simply because they have nothing better to do during the commute. The data and wifi coverage is less worrisome since I imagine 90 percent of people using it will either be playing a game or avoiding a walk to the nearest physical copy of the subway map.
So far only four stations have gotten the high tech upgrade, but there are many more slated to be done by the end of the year (a map of these stations can be found here, spoiler: they are all in Manhattan)
View Comments (3)
Well, isn't this just in stations? Since most tunnels will continue to have little to no reception, people will (hopefully) avoid phone calls on moving trains.
Clearly you were not on the same Q train we were on last week that was stuck in the several stations for 10 minutes at a time.
A large portion of the system (maybe 40%?) is already overground and has wifi/cell service already. In my years riding the B/Q/N/D I've never noticed that it got particularly louder during the above ground portion of those rides.