Although several train stations and systems worldwide have moved to provide Wi-Fi for commuters, the US has been rather slow to do the same for its subway systems. With wireless connectivity available almost everywhere in New York City, the lack of communication capabilities on trains is becoming an even more irritable condition. In 2010, Mayor Bloomberg announced that the money to move forward was finally available and NYC would soon be on the same level as Berlin, Singapore, and Tokyo, all of which already offer Wi-Fi on their tube systems.
However, because the NYC subway system is winding and complex, decking it out to maximum potential comes with a handful of challenges. The one major issue that has come up has to do with the service being used to connect commuters. Should the system be Wi-Fi or 3G? Cellular networks are becoming stronger but the addition of such a project might lead to quite an overburdening. Wi-Fi connections are fairly short range and will probably only be of use in train station while ultimately failing on subway cars.
Mayor Bloomberg just recently stated that cellular service will not be promised on the trains but will be available in portions of tunnels and stations. A proposal to add free Wi-Fi on the Metro North and Long Island Rail Road trains has also been filed. By 2016, 277 underground NYC stations should have wireless capabilities. Transit Wireless, the company implementing these connections, has signed agreements with AT&T and T-Mobile covering a 10-year contract with four five-year renewals (optional) following.