As of last Friday, Metro commuters now have access to cellular and data service along 80 of of the transit agency’s 100 tunnel tracks, WMATA announced in a release last week.
The U.S.’s top four carriers—AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and T-Mobile—now have complete wireless coverage installed on three Metro lines: Green, Orange, and Blue. All underground Metro stations already offer free Wi-Fi service under the name “Metro-Public.”
The announcement comes as Metro has added service in tunnels between the Gallery Place and Branch Avenue stops, completing the installation of new cables across the entire Green line and most of the Yellow line. Metro says three remaining tunnels will have complete wireless service by June of next year: the Red line from Dupont Circle to White Flint, the Yellow line from L’Enfant Plaza to the Potomac River portal, and the one-mile Silver line tunnel in Tysons.
Metro says the $120 million project makes commutes safer and more productive, “allowing [riders] to work, send emails and text messages, watch videos, read the latest news, or catch up with friends.”
Notably, the Washington Post pointed to increased internet access on Metro as a factor in its decision to shut down the commuter paper Express in September. In a statement at the time, the Post said that “more and more readers are consuming The Post’s content digitally, and The Post will continue to serve those who commute via Metro with digital products, including its mobile site, apps, newsletters, and podcasts.”
Metro first started adding cell service to its tunnels in 2016. Happy web surfing, D.C.
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