BART adds free Wi-Fi to five heavily traveled stations
Riders on Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) systems can now access free Wi-Fi at five heavily traveled stations, including San Francisco International Airport, West Oakland, Embarcadero, Civic Center and Powell Street.
BART says the free Wi-Fi marks the first milestone in a comprehensive digital transformation project that will bring state-of-the-art Wi-Fi connectivity to all BART stations over the next couple of years, followed by onboard connectivity on all BART trains.
The Wi-Fi is powered by Boldyn Networks. No password or email is required. Sessions on the network will last 20 minutes, and users will be required to confirm they are still actively using the network beyond 20 minutes.
Once users select to join the BART Wi-Fi network, their device will present an option to connect automatically. When within the coverage area of the network, their device will automatically join the network and a captive portal page will be presented to ensure they are still active on the network.
BART says SFO and Powell Street stations were prioritized due to Super Bowl LX happening on Feb. 8 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., and with fans flying into the city for the festivities, they will be using Powell Street Station to access the official Super Bowl Experience and San Francisco Fan Zone by the station.
“Offering high-quality Wi-Fi is being responsive to the needs of our riders and will enhance the customer experience by providing connectivity,” said BART Assistant General Manager of Technology Ravi Misra. “Boldyn worked with us to deliver this initial phase as the Bay Area takes to the world stage for the big game, and more upgrades are slated in the months and years to come.”
Benefits of the new Wi-Fi service include:
- Eases strain on cell network during high-density events.
- Overall, phones perform better when connected to reliable Wi-Fi, especially in a congested area. It saves battery life too.
- Essential for international visitors to communicate without a U.S. roaming plan.
- Ensures uninterrupted connectivity for medical/health monitoring devices.
- Ensures riders can access digital fare payments and emergency communications.
After these initial five stations, BART plans to deploy Wi-Fi at 16th Street, 24th Street, Balboa Park, Glen Park and Daly City stations by June. Remaining stations are expected to be completed by early 2028. Free Wi-Fi comes at no cost to the agency because of its licensing agreement with Boldyn Networks that was entered into in 2020. The agreement allows Boldyn to use BART property to deploy cellular and fiber-optic infrastructure to enable:
- 5G cellular coverage in the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Muni underground
- New fiber-optic capacity through the Transbay Tube
- Multiple cellular installations around the Bay Area
BART notes the agreement allows major service providers, like AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Comcast and others, to deliver the connectivity people rely on. BART receives a share of telecom revenue generated on BART property—estimated at approximately $200 million over 20 years—along with ownership of several new assets. Boldyn is responsible for the full cost of installing, operating and maintaining the Wi-Fi system.