NYC’s underground subway stations on track to have free Wi-Fi by year’s end

In nothing short of a modern miracle, the MTA is on track to bring Wi-Fi to each of the city’s 279 underground subway stations by year’s end. The initiative is part of Governor Cuomo’s larger plan to catapult the subway system into the 21st century with Wi-Fi, countdown clocks, and contactless payment.

A source told amNewYork that contractor Transit Wireless has already installed Wi-Fi devices at 250 of the city’s 279 underground stations (no word on progress with above ground stations, LIRR, and Metro-North, which also fall within the plan.)

Cuomo announced in January that the initiative would operate on an accelerated timeline, pledging the city was “modernizing the MTA like never before and improving it for years to come." Transit Wireless and the MTA had originally sought to install in-station Wi-Fi by the end of 2017.

“Today’s world demands seamless communication and we challenged the MTA to accelerate implementation of this project because the need for connectivity doesn’t end when riders head underground,” Cuomo said in a statement, “Modernizing the MTA and delivering technology riders need is about setting ambitious goals and meeting challenges head on—and that’s exactly what we’re on track to accomplish here.”

• Wi-Fi in underground subway stations still on track for completion, source says [amNY]
• NYC Subway Plods Into 21st Century With Wi-Fi, Real-Time Info [Curbed]
• NYC Subway to Be Transformed With New Tech-Focused Upgrades [Curbed]
• All MTA coverage [Curbed]