It's been a while since we heard any news about Metro's plan to get cell coverage and WiFi service into Los Angeles's subway tunnels, but a recent Metro memo shows that these dreams could be coming true within the next year, if all goes according to plan. Metro's scheduled to begin work next week and the Red and Purple Lines between Union Station and Seventh/Metro stations should have WiFi by May 2015; cell service for those stations would follow in August 2015. And so begins the countdown to loud, extended speakerphone conversations on the subway.
After the first Red/Purple phase is done, the next stations to get the Twenty-First Century treatment will be MacArthur Park/Westlake, the Purple Line to Wilshire/Western, and the Red Line to Vermont/Sunset, all of which are scheduled to have WiFi by December 2015 and cell service by June 2016.
Red Line stops from Hollywood/Western to North Hollywood and the Gold Line from Mariachi Plaza to Soto (the underground portions of that line) should be getting internet connectivity by November 2016 and cell service by March 2017. Of course, all these dates are dependent on "tunnel availability" and contractor InSite Wireless's ability to reach timely agreements with wireless internet and cell service providers, says Metro.
· METRO RAIL SYSTEM CELLULAR AND WI-FI IMPLEMENTATION [Metro]
· Work Starts on Bringing WiFi and Cell Service to Metro Tunnels [Curbed LA]
· Metro Working on a Fare App and 14 Other Cool Tech Projects [Curbed LA]
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