The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority began work this week on adding cellular and WiFi service to select stations along the Red line.
Four stations will receive cellular and WiFi service by May, and the tunnels between then will be linked by August under phase one of the project. Phase two, to be completed by June 2016, will add wireless services to five more stations along the Red and Purple lines. Phase three, which won’t be fully finalized until March 2017, will extend WiFi to the Red line’s end point in North Hollywood, as well as the tunnel portions of the Gold line in Pasadena and East Los Angeles. The contract was awarded to InSite Wireless two years ago, but work has been delayed in order to circumvent security and interference issues with first responders.
The Metro did not specify which wireless network operators are involved with the project. Boston, New York City, Washington, D.C., and the Bay Area all offer limited cellular service in select stations and lines.
