October 3, 2008
Expanded Metro Cell Phone Service Within One Year?
Buried at the bottom of yesterday's WaPo story about the $1.5 billion funding package for Metro passed by the Senate is this juicy tidbit:
The bill also includes a provision to improve cellphone coverage in the subway system. Within one year, the 20 busiest underground Metro stations would be required to have cellphone access for all carriers. Currently, only Verizon or Sprint roaming customers can receive signals.The last we heard about plans to build an expanded cell phone service network in Metro stations and tunnels was in April, when WMATA announced it would put out an official request for proposals from companies interested in building an expanded network -- which at the time was estimated to take 18 months to get up and running in the busiest stations and closer to four years to complete in the entire system. So assuming President Bush signs this bill into law, which by all accounts he intends to do, will Metro be able to meet the 1-year deadline?
Metro spokesperson Steven Taubenkibel confirmed that the request for proposals went out in June, and that Metro began officially reviewing them August, but a contract has yet to be awarded. It isn't totally clear whether the 1-year deadline will apply from the date the bill becomes law or from when a contract is awarded, but when asked about the previous estimate of 18 months to get the job done, Taubenkibel basically said that Metro and whichever company is chosen will just have to find a way to meet the earlier deadline.
"That's the provision," he said.
Also, Sprint customers: do you actually get decent service in Metro? We hear mixed reviews.
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I have never once gotten a signal in the tunnels with Sprint. Never ever ever. Ever.
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@flapjack: As I understand it, you need a phone capable of receiving EVDO signals in order to roam on Verizon's network with Sprint service. I've been using a Centro with Sprint for the last year and generally get excellent service in stations and spotty service in tunnels, the latter being just fine for texting or web browsing but not great for calls.
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My phone is a very basic no thrills kinda phone. I don't have any of that fancy web browsing stuff. I probably should upgrade but I hate Sprint so they're not getting anymore of my money.
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Great! more fonees. looking foward to the cacophony on the trains next year.
Will Metro designate cell phone cars?
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I had Sprint about 2 years ago on a Sanyo VM-4500 -- voice-only (no SMS) worked well-enough on the platform or in a stationary car, but didn't work well at all in a moving train.
Then again, last year I had Verizon and never bothered trying to carry on with a conversation in a moving train, because while it worked better than Sprint, it still dropped a hell of a lot of times.
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"Will Metro designate cell phone cars?"
Or Metro could emulate Amtrak and designate 'quiet cars' - ie, no cell phone conversations, no shrieking sh*tfaced LNS'ers, no touristic throngs with screaming children.
Only downside would be the extra mental strain on the already hopelessly confused tourists and summer interns.
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I have a vaguely related question. Has anyone else *stopped* receiving email alerts from Metro about train delays and so forth? Mine seem to have ceased since sometime in early September, and I have even tried to re-enroll for them. It's hard for me to believe that there haven't been any delays, given that I was stuck for 40 minutes in one.
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I get no service underground with Sprint and roaming disabled.
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I have the new Instinct from Sprint, and have pretty good service everywhere, although, when I'm on a train *and* at a station, or at a station *and* a train is approaching, I can't send messages, or load webpages. Otherwise, it's peachy.
Oh, also, I don't talk on the phone on the metro. So, not sure about dropping calls or what not.
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I get Sprint in the Tubes, but not as good as Verizon
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Well, on the upside I suppose this could help boost the quality of contributions to Overheard in DC.
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IGAS
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While having cell phone reception on the metro would be great, I sort of like being able to use the excuse "Sorry, I was on the Metro," when I don't pick up my phone.
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It would be great if they could somehow limit the service to texting only. I have Verizon and never ever try to have an actual conversation while on metro-- not only because it's impossible (signal goes in and out and completely drops frequently) but because it's like totally fucking rude to make everyone else listen to you debate with your SO what to eat for dinner. But I do soooo love to text when I'm bored on metro. Occasionally for practical stuff ("pick me up in 10 min cuz it's late and I don't feel like getting mugged tonight"), but mostly I'm texting about what people around me are saying/wearing.
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I've heard Verizon phone service is spotty for a couple of coworkers.
When I had a long ride to Greenbelt from King St. late at night one of the trains that left down that way going all the way to Greenbelt I got my EVDO card to connect on my computer but the signal was very inconsistent and dropped out a lot.