Timeline for Full Wireless Expansion Across the Subway System

Timeline for Full Wireless Expansion Across the Subway System

You don't have to wait forever. The MTA has already started picking the next tunnels to light up with cell service. Here's what's coming soon.

First, the G train is front and center. The stretch between Court Square and Hoyt-Schermerhorn is slated to get 5G sometime this fall.

Another early rollout is in the works for the 4 and 5 lines, from Bowling Green in Manhattan to Borough Hall in Brooklyn. That underwater tunnel is complicated, but MTA says they'll install the wireless gear alongside planned signal upgrades.

Beyond that, the A and C lines are next in line. Officials say fiber and cables will be run during other construction outages when tracks are already shut down.

So where are we now? Only the 42nd Street Shuttle tunnel (between Grand Central and Times Square) has full 5G service. Also, the Canarsie (L) tunnel between Manhattan and Brooklyn already has connectivity.

Will the MTA hit 2030 or 2032 for full coverage? That's still up in the air. Officials say timelines depend on when Boldyn can access tunnels (during maintenance windows) and coordinate work with other capital projects.

So the next few months could be telling. If G, 4, and 5 lines get turned on, we'll start seeing just how fast this plan really moves.