A Timeline of Subway Connectivity Promises and Delays

A Timeline of Subway Connectivity Promises and Delays

Remember when the MTA announced Wi-Fi in the subway? That rollout started back in 2011, and by 2017, nearly every underground station had both Wi-Fi and basic cell coverage, thanks to a deal with Transit Wireless.

The catch? That promise only covered stations, not tunnels. Once the train left the platform, your phone still dropped to zero bars. The MTA called that "Phase 1." The current "Phase 2" (announced in 2022) finally expands coverage to all 418 miles of tunnels.

The early Wi-Fi rollout cost over $200 million and was handled by Transit Wireless (now Boldyn Networks), which installed antennas, fiber, and access points across hundreds of stations. That partnership continues today, just on a much bigger, slower scale.

So yes, they did promise it years ago. But what New Yorkers actually got was Wi-Fi at stops, not signal between them. The "full coverage" system riders assumed was coming? It's still on the way, inching toward 2030.