WMATA works to improve cell phone service throughout rail system

Cell phone service continues to improve throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (DC) Metrorail system. Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile are working to meet the agency’s deadline of wiring the rail system by October 16, 2012 — a date mandated by Congress four years ago as part of a federal funding agreement. “On any given night, there may be as many as six or seven separate job sites on the system,” said spokesman Dan Stessel. Service on all four carriers is already available at Metrorail’s 20 busiest stations. Work on the 47 underground stations is about 75% complete, and efforts to install fiber-optic lines at the system’s 39 above-ground stations is about halfway done. “We want to provide customers with the ability to use cellphones and wireless devices throughout the Metro rail system using the carrier of their choice,” Stessel said. “This is important not only for customer convenience but for customer safety.” Link to full story in The Washington Post.

Original post