New York MTA wants wireless broadband in trains and stations

[Messino]

New York MTA wants wireless broadband in trains and stations

July 8, 2009 at 10:31 PM by Esme Vos

 

The Original artical has a document giving specific details provided by the MTA including amount of riders on specific stations and lines.

 

http://www.muniwireless.com/2009/07/08/mta-issues-rfei-for-wireless-broadband-in-trains/

 

The New York MTA and Long Island Rail Road have issued a Request for Expressions of Interest regarding the deployment of wireless broadband in trains and stations. Responses are due on 1 September 2009. Public transport companies are increasingly providing wireless broadband (mostly Wi-Fi) to passengers, often for free, to entice people away from their cars and other transportation firms.

 

Here’s an excerpt from the RFEI:

 

“The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (“MTA”), together with the Long Island Rail Road (“LIRR”) and Metro-North Commuter Railroad (“Metro-North”, and together with LIRR, the “Railroads”), are considering the deployment of wireless broadband services on the Railroads’ trains and in the Railroads’ stations. This RFEI is being issued to solicit expressions of interest from providers of such services.”

 

“LIRR operates between New York City and Long Island and within Long Island. Metro-North operates between New York City and the northern suburban counties of Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess; from the City through the southern portion of the State of Connecticut; through an arrangement with New Jersey Transit, the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley commuter rail services to Orange and Rockland Counties; and within such counties and the State of Connecticut. LIRR and Metro-North are, respectively, the largest and second largest commuter railroad services in the nation and operate every day of the year, although frequency of service varies by route, day of the week and time of

day.”

 

. . . .

 

“The RFEI will provide MTA and the Railroads the opportunity to review different technologies and solutions and to evaluate different business cases. As an option, one or both of the Railroads may decide to permit a technical trial of one or more technical solutions at no cost to the Railroads. After the Railroads review the responses to the RFEI (and the results of technical trials, if any), a decision will be made whether to proceed with a wide scale on-train and/or station wireless broadband implementation pursuant to a subsequent request for proposals (“RFP”).”

 

“Given that MTA and the Railroads are at a relatively early stage in our consideration of whether to proceed to implementation of a wireless broadband network as described in this RFEI, we recognize that Respondents may not be willing to spend the time and money necessary to develop detailed responses to all of the questions and specific requests for information that are set forth below.

However, the better the quality of the responses we receive, including specific consideration of the Railroads’ business, policy and operating environments, the better we will be able to measure the interest of particular Respondents and determine whether and how to proceed.”

[LRG]

This is a very good idea. They should install a pilot at Grand Central terminal and see how that plays out, since it is a very busy station. But the MTA is going to need money to do that, however.

[MTR Admiralty]

This is a very good idea. They should install a pilot at Grand Central terminal and see how that plays out, since it is a very busy station. But the MTA is going to need money to do that, however.

It is a good concept, but I think the money should be redirected into more important necessities, such as finishing the ESA, maintaining existing infrastructure, maintaining railcars... I mean keeping them happy is fine, but just make sure everything else works out good.

[metsfan]

Yes please! Sometimes that time spent underground is when a vital decision could be made. Very inconvenient to have to wait all the time at station entrances, then if something changes, have to go out of fare control again or wait till next station. It gets to be a real hassle sometimes for me personally.

 

- A

[metsfan]

Also, remember that verizon and comcast could do this and not need any money from , just permission. Wireless in tunnels is easy enough, stations easier, would take about 2 years to fully deploy if they were to green light it.

 

- A

[mark1447]

Sounds good, hope to get free Wifi on MNCR, but hopefully can afford this.

 

TO bad the NYCT cant get this..