PATCO announced plans Jan. 8 to provide free Xfinity Wi-Fi at all stations. On Jan. 7, the operations and maintenance committee of PATCO's board endorsed a proposal from Comcast to provide Xfinity Wi-Fi coverage in all 13 PATCO stations in Philadelphia and New Jersey. The committee's endorsement means that the proposal will be considered by the full board at its Jan. 21 meeting. If approved, and if everything goes as planned, Comcast projects completion of the project by Summer 2015.
Xfinity Wi-Fi is a network of "hotspots" that allows users to connect at the fastest Wi-Fi speeds available while conserving usage on their cellular data plans. The Xfinity Wi-Fi coverage will be provided free to both Comcast subscribers, who can sign in with their Xfinity user IDs and passwords, and to non-subscribers, who can register with an email address upon accepting the terms of use.
"We're committed to improving our customers' experience. We have listened to our customers and know that staying connected is important. This demonstrates our commitment to provide the amenities our customers want," said John Hanson, president of PATCO and chief executive officer of the Delaware River Port Authority. "Wi-Fi also means enhancement of real time communication to our customers via social media and email travel alerts."
PATCO has been working with Comcast for several months to design the system to meet customers' needs most effectively. "Comcast has been a great partner and has done a fantastic job in creating a systematic plan to provide seamless Wi-Fi coverage at our stations," said John Rink, PATCO's general manager.
"We're excited the operations and maintenance committee of PATCO's board selected Comcast and we're delighted to provide fast, reliable Wi-Fi access to PATCO customers," said Amalia O'Sullivan, vice president of Xfinity Internet, Comcast Cable. "Access to Xfinity Wi-Fi at their train platforms will enable our customers and non-customers alike the ability to surf the net, stream videos and communicate with family and friends for no additional fee thereby saving them money on their wireless bills. These new locations will soon be part of our growing network of more than 8 million Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots available across the nation."
