New York Subway To Be Wired For Cellphone Use

Despite security worries concerning the use of mobile phone signals in subways, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced that all 277 underground stations in the New York subway system would be wired for cellphone use by 2013. However, for all you chitty-chatters, the subway tunnels will not be wired, meaning, no talking in trains. According to the New York Times, the company that won the right to wire the stations, Transit Wireless, will pay New York City Transit a minimum of $46.8 million over 10 years. Additionally, the company will handle the cost of building the wireless network in the stations, estimated at $150 million to $200 million. Under the agreement, cellphone providers will have to pay a fee to Transit Wireless in order to use the network. -Continued after the jump

The first mobile phone networks will be available in 2009 in six downtown Manhattan stations located at 23rd Street and 14th Street on the Eighth Avenue line, 14th Street on the Seventh Avenue line, 14th Street on the Sixth Avenue line, and Eighth Avenue and Sixth Avenue on the L line. The rest of the underground stations will be gradually equipped with the wireless network system by 2013.

Via: New York Times