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    WMATA marks halfway point in making tunnels wireless ready

    Dec. 20, 2018
    WMATA is working with major cellular carriers to install cable throughout 100 miles of tunnel to provide customers with a connected ride.
    WMATA/Larry Levine
    Wmata Orange Line Station Credit Wmata Larry Levine

    Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has opened three additional "wireless ready" tunnel segments. The addition of the three segments means more than half of Metrorail's tunnels are now wired for cellular and data service. 

    WMATA is working with wireless carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless to install special cable along 100 miles of tunnel walls to support wireless service as the transit agency also installs the infrastructure needed for a new radio system for trains and emergency responders.

    The work to make its tunnels "wireless ready" is part of the authority's larger Back2Good initiative that was announced in November 2016. Among the series of service and infrastructure improvements, providing WiFi to riders was in response to customers requesting the ability to stay connected while on the Metrorail system. 

    The three new “wireless ready” tunnel segments include 5.6 track miles between Ballston and Rosslyn on the Orange and Silver Lines; 4.8 track miles between Rosslyn and Metro Center on the Blue, Orange and Silver Lines and 7.4 track miles between College Park and Fort Totten on the Green Line.  

    The new tunnel segments will undergo ongoing testing and optimization by the wireless carriers to address any performance issues and ensure reliable service for customers.

    Cellular service is currently available in all Metro stations and on portions of all six Metrorail lines, including most of Downtown D.C. Just over 50 of Metro’s 100 miles of tunnel track have been wired for the new system, with new underground segments coming online as the work is completed. Cellular service in all tunnel segments is expected by mid-2020.

    About the Author

    Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

    Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

    Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content. 

    She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.  

    She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.

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