AT&T and T-Mobile have agreed to a deal that will bring mobile phone service to some of the most populated subway stations in New York City.
The mobile providers have signed into a contract with a company called Transit Wireless, which is devoted to bringing mobile access to underground transit stations across the country.
By the end of next year, the deal hopes to bring full wireless service to six Manhattan subway stations in New York City.
Although New York is one of the most connected cities in the world, users must suspend all cell phone activity when they step down underground to the subway.
Because every subway station in Manhattan is underground, virtually all of them is unable to receive a cell phone signal. A couple stations are built not too far underground and customers can occasionally receive a signal while they’re in certain subway stations, but it is spotty reception at best.
Verizon, Sprint, and other carriers are still negotiating deals with Transit Wireless to provide access to their networks as well.
Every station in the New York City subway system is expected to have mobile phone data access by 2016.
