NYC Tunnel Talk

Don’t you hate how you lose mobile phone service as soon as you descend into subway stations? Apparently enough New Yorkers grew frustrated enough that they are willing to pay a monthly fee to unlock that possibility. The service from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will let transit goers receive cell phone signals inside subway stations.

If you’re one of those people who can’t stand hearing others talk on their mobile devices, fret not. While the system will work in the underground stations, the service won’t be provided in the actual subway.

The whole point is to keep people connected. After the Manhattan floodings last month, a lot of people weren’t able to call in to work or home to let them know about the hold-up. Despite its $150-$200 million cost, the city sees it as a a vital safety feature.

“Under the agreement, cellphone providers would pay the company a fee to carry their signals on the network, the New York Times reported. “The cellphone network will start in six downtown Manhattan stations in two years. Once it is shown to be working properly, Transit Wireless will have four more years to outfit the rest of the underground stations.”