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NYC subways to go wireless

Marguerite Reardon Former senior reporter
Marguerite Reardon started as a CNET News reporter in 2004, covering cellphone services, broadband, citywide Wi-Fi, the Net neutrality debate and the consolidation of the phone companies.
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Marguerite Reardon
2 min read

It's finally happening. The New York Times reported on Thursday that New York City's MTA will soon be installing equipment so that millions of New Yorkers, including myself, will be able to use our cellphones on the subway.

It's like a dream come true. Now, instead of standing outside the subway station an extra 10 minutes while I vent to my sister, who lives in Washington, D.C., about the latest events of my life, I can simply walk down the steps, fumble through my purse - neck cocked to one side holding my phone to my ear, blocking the turnstile entrance as I look for my metro card - and still not miss a beat in my conversation. "So, what'd you do today? Really? Went to Target? Rosie got what stuck up her nose? That's fascinating."

Now the person sitting next to me during my 30-minute commute to the Upper West Side of Manhattan will get to hear all about how cute my 4-year-old niece is and what I had for lunch. Maybe they'll even overhear a snippet of family gossip as my sister and I chat. Even when I change trains at Times Square, I'll be able to keep my conversation going as I dodge people O.J. Simpson-style during rush hour.

The truth of the matter is that I really don't get enough time during my day to talk on the phone. I think that's probably true for most New Yorkers working in an office. Sure, you have a phone at your desk, but who really uses it? For years, I've been annoyed that for at least one solid hour a day, no one could reach me. No one could find me on Instant Messaging. I couldn't answer emails. Phone calls would go straight to voicemail. It was as if once I descended deep beneath the city into the subway system I was invisible for 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening.

Well, those days will soon be over. No longer will I be amazed at how quiet a crammed subway car is at 8:30 AM on a weekday - the only audible sound the loud screeching of the subway car wheels grinding along the tracks. Soon, I'll be able to scroll through my phone book, click on a name, and start chatting for no particular reason. And if I can't find anyone to talk to me so early in the morning, I can just eavesdrop on someone else's conversation. Isn't technology wonderful?