X

AT&T, Transit Wireless look to expand New York subway cell service

The two companies have a goal to bring wireless service to as many as 242 additional subway stations.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
Expertise Mobile, 5G, Big Tech, Social Media Credentials
  • SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
Roger Cheng
2 min read

Google_Wallet01_-_Subway.JPG
It's still early days when it comes to getting cellphone service in a New York subway station. Roger Cheng/CNET

AT&T and Transit Wireless said on Wednesday that the two companies have expanded a deal to bring cellular service to as many as 242 additional underground subway stations in New York.

There are currently 36 subway stations in Manhattan that can pick up cellular service, and AT&T and Transit Wireless are working on adding coverage to 4 more stations as part of the second phase of their project.

With consumers increasingly on their smartphones, the wireless carriers have been keen to provide coverage everywhere their customers are. While cellular coverage is prevalent in underground stations in other cities around the world, New York's older infrastructure didn't allow for coverage until the last two years -- and only in limited deployments. Being able to offer cell service underground is an additional selling point for the carrier.

AT&T and T-Mobile were the first to dip their toes in getting cellular coverage into subway stations with the initial trial of six stations in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Since then, Verizon Wireless and Sprint have also committed to getting service in the station.

The second phase of the roll out include 11 stations in midtown Manhattan, including Grand Central Terminal, 34th Street Herald Square, and Bryant Park, as well as 29 stations in Queens. The 40 stations are expected to be completed by the end of the summer.

"By extending their commitment throughout the full build of this project, AT&T is helping ensure dependable, high-speed wireless coverage in the subway system for all their customers in New York and future innovations that improve the rider experience for years to come," Transit Wireless CEO William A. Bayne said in a statement.