Surely, there are many different things that enhance the human experience over time, but if we are being honest, nothing quite does the job like our ability to get better on a consistent basis. You see, when an individual is able to achieve growth under all possible situations, they eventually guide themselves towards some huge milestones along the way. Talk about these milestones, each one also seems to bring a unique value into our lives. Despite that dynamic, however, we are still yet to see anything as unprecedented as technology. While the reason why technology gets to stay a cut above the rest is largely centered upon its skill-set, we cannot ignore the importance of how those skills were used to impact an entire spectrum, and consequentially, turn us into a tech-driven society. Interestingly enough, though, even after we got there, the revolution didn’t stop. It has, in fact, grown stronger over time, and looking at one recent MTA announcement, we should only expect more out of it moving forward.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has officially announced a plan to wire all 418 miles of underground track underneath the New York city with wireless connectivity. According to certain reports, Transit Wireless, the company that operates the MTA’s existing underground WiFi network, will build the required infrastructure to facilitate this operation. Furthermore, it will also bear the entire cost, which is expected to be over $600 million, as a part of an ongoing public-private partnership between the two entities. While the main focus is certainly on the underground side of things, the agreement also promises wireless connectivity to MTA’s 191 aboveground stations, as well as 21 Staten Island railway stations. Notably, the project will not cause any explicit disruption around the day-to-day flow of services. Instead, MTA will carry out all the installments during those stretches of scheduled maintenance.
“Riders are eager for more connectivity,” said Danny Pearlstein, a spokesman for Riders Alliance, a grass-roots organization of transit riders. “Expanded cell service will make the subway feel safer and make it easier to get work done and keep in touch while on board.”
Going by the agreed terms, Transit Wireless will look to earn a return on its investment through mediums like licensing fees, monetization of data analytics and leasing out fiber-optic cables for network providers. Once the company has recouped the whole $600 million lot, it will become obligated to redirect 20 percent of the total revenue to the MTA. This slab is expected to remain applicable for at least six years before going up a notch to 40 percent. All in all, MTA is looking at $400 million in total benefits — including revenue and cost savings.