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Cell Service Finally Hitting NYC Subways
Six Stations Get Cell Service on Tuesday
Getting wireless service into the NYC subway system has been a rather slow and clunky affair. The network was projected to cost $150 million to $200 million to get all 277 stations wired within six years, with a company named Transit Wireless managing the project, then paying New York City Transit $46.8 million over 10 years for the honor. But initial deployments -- including a six station test area -- have seen a three year delay. Years later, six initial stations are set to get service starting on Tuesday, although only for subscribers to AT&T and T-Mobile. The New York stations where the service will be available are on 14th Street from 6th Avenue to 8th Avenue, and on 23rd Street and 8th Avenue.
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ozzny
Premium Member
join:2005-04-22
Bronx, NY

ozzny

Premium Member

Where's VZW when you need em.

AT&T and T-Mobile only. Are you serious???

Verizon...where are you?

Subaru
1-3-2-4
Premium Member
join:2001-05-31
Greenwich, CT

Subaru

Premium Member

Re: Where's VZW when you need em.

said by ozzny:

AT&T and T-Mobile only. Are you serious???

Verizon...where are you?

What I was thinking as well.

RARPSL
join:1999-12-08
Suffern, NY

RARPSL

Member

Re: Where's VZW when you need em.

said by Subaru:

said by ozzny:

AT&T and T-Mobile only. Are you serious???

Verizon...where are you?

What I was thinking as well.

There is a very simple reason why AT&T and T-Mobile. They are both GSM and use the same Frequencies and Transmission format which is not compatible with Verizon's CDMA. To be able to support Verizon a second set of radio equipment would be needed on the subways.

Now if you asked why the choice was made to go AT&T/T-Mobile in lieu of Verizon that would be a different/better question. So long as the test setup is only going to support GSM or CDMA then one or the other Cellco will be unsupported so long as you do not go with a dual radio setup. Note that I think the cell support in the under the Hudson Car Tunnels DO support both networks/standards.

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

Mike Wolf

Member

Re: Where's VZW when you need em.

It's not really in lieu of, they just are still in negotiations with Sprint and Verizon. I guess they didn't want to delay the announcement. I mean its not really that big of a deal if it takes Verizon and Sprint another few weeks or months to settle on an agreement, the hard part (and why they wont be finished till 2016) is installing the physical hardware and wiring in the subway. The rest is just switch flipping.
BiggA
Premium Member
join:2005-11-23
Central CT

BiggA to RARPSL

Premium Member

to RARPSL
OTOH, the Hudson river Amtrak/NJT tunnels are Verizon-only (contract Sprint probably roams), so now if you want underground coverage, you've got to decide. I wish they would just let things be, and if you're underground, you get no service.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

pnh102 to ozzny

Premium Member

to ozzny
said by ozzny:

Verizon...where are you?

The check to the MTA hasn't cleared yet.

mikesterr
join:2008-04-18
Sanford, FL

mikesterr to ozzny

Member

to ozzny
Verizon already tried this with NY stations. I forget the scope if it was just the Regional rail lines coming through or if the subway was included. In any event I seem to remember the whole thing being a waste of time and money. Equipment failures are high in that environment and no Income generated from providing this service. It's one of those things everyone seems to think would be great to have but really doesn't benefit the carriers other than bragging rights.
BiggA
Premium Member
join:2005-11-23
Central CT

BiggA

Premium Member

Re: Where's VZW when you need em.

People might switch if one carrier has it and one doesn't.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

Boston subway has some coverage

Boston subway has some coverage underground. Probably because their system is not as deep underground as NYC. I once used my iPhone on the Green Line and was able to get some signal and this was the underground portion. The stations in Boston have some reception.
dplantz
join:2000-08-02
Bradenton, FL

dplantz

Member

Re: Boston subway has some coverage

Actually the coverage underground is quite extensive. Tmobile covers almost all of the underground stations and has for many years as Voicestream which Tmobile purchased installed the cell sites. ATT coverage is great in some stations and non existent in others. I take the Orange line often and that line has ATT coverage in both the tunnels and stations underground. Sprint I am unsure of except in major stations. Verizon works in major stations and some tunnels. Green line has more wholes in the underground coverage network.
tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

tmc8080

Member

gaps

are the signal gaps really at the stations? I would think it's in the tunnels between stations to be exact.. if you can't get a signal by the exit turnstyles then your cellphone/service provider sucks.

mix
join:2002-03-19
Romeo, MI

mix

Member

Why so long and so much

Don't they just basically need a big or bunch of femtocells to pull this off in a station?

ArrayList
DevOps
Premium Member
join:2005-03-19
Mullica Hill, NJ

ArrayList

Premium Member

How long...

How long before the government shuts down these cell sites to stop free speech?

mech1164
I'll Be Back
join:2001-11-19
Lodi, NJ

1 recommendation

mech1164

Member

Re: How long...

said by ArrayList:

How long before the government shuts down these cell sites to stop free speech?

That was San Fransisco not New York. If that happened the NYC the mayor along with the whole city council would be forced to resign. Otherwise the riots in the city would make the march on Washington look like a block party.

Pathfinder5
Dazed Confused
Premium Member
join:2000-03-26
New York, NY

Pathfinder5 to ArrayList

Premium Member

to ArrayList
Not soon enough. Soon there won't be anyplace left to be free from these jabbering idiots who think they are so important that everyone needs to hear about their droll lives.

Tokidoki
Premium Member
join:2002-08-26
South Richmond Hill, NY

Tokidoki

Premium Member

Idlers

I hate the people that clog up the entrances to the subway talking on a cellphone... I wonder if this'll clear things up eventually. The morning sucks and I've missed trains by mere seconds because of it

What luck

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

Mike Wolf

Member

Re: Idlers

I'm more interested in when the hell we're going to see free 802.11n wifi at the stations.

djdanska
Rudie32
Premium Member
join:2001-04-21
San Diego, CA

djdanska

Premium Member

better than chiTown

Hopefully it's better than the subway service in chicago. I get voice fine at the stations, but in the tunnels, it varies. Not able to make calls and data/text messages never work. (I use t-mobile, and it's only 2g in the subway)

borv
Onemhz On Aim
join:2000-10-06
Astoria, NY

borv

Member

useless for a lot of folks

Most folks in NYC are on Verizon. AT&T is horrendous in Manhattan, not sure about T-Mobile.
ConstantineM
join:2011-09-02
San Jose, CA

ConstantineM

Member

GSM or UMTS?

What technology did they employ? GSM or UMTS, or both?

Only GSM would be compatible between AT&T and T-Mobile. Most T-Mobile USA phones don't support AT&T's UMTS frequencies at all; and same for AT&T phones and T-Mo 3G freq.
willzzz
join:2007-05-23
NY

willzzz

Member

Re: GSM or UMTS?

Both. It doesn't matter, it's configured for both pre-merger state.

Remember the merger isn't even approved.

And in GSM/UMTS systems the systems are COMBINED into one, the back-end automates it.
ConstantineM
join:2011-09-02
San Jose, CA

ConstantineM

Member

Re: GSM or UMTS?

Are you sure they support both AWS and non-AWS UMTS frequencies?

Also, I don't get how your comment the about the merger is relevant here. Tower sharing is quite a common practice amongst all operators.

PolakPola
Premium Member
join:2001-12-17
Thornwood, NY

PolakPola

Premium Member

ROFL :D

When are they planing to wire all tunnels and stations 2050?:)