New York City Subway To Get Wi-Fi

Boingo Wireless, a provider of Wi-Fi software and services worldwide, announced an agreement with Transit Wireless to manage and operate Wi-Fi Internet services within the New York City Subway System.

Wi-Fi access in the subway stations will gradually roll out over the next five years, the company said.

Underground access

The agreement will eventually allow New York City Transit Authority’s more than 1.6 billion annual subway riders to connect to the Internet using smartphones, e-readers, tablets and other wireless devices while waiting for a train. Once completed, Boingo Wi-Fi services will be available at stations throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens.

“Boingo has a proven expertise in operating easy-to-use wireless services in high-traffic venues serving people on-the-go,” said Transit Wireless chief executive William A. Bayne Jr., in a statement. “Our partnership with Boingo helps us deliver on our commitment to providing best-in-class technology amenities to our community of commuters and visitors to the Big Apple.”

“Our alliance with Transit Wireless is another milestone for Boingo in our ongoing effort to expand our managed and operated footprint and provide added value to our customers – especially those in New York City,” said Colby Goff, senior vice president of strategy and business development for Boingo Wireless, also in a statement. “We look forward to providing New Yorkers, our customers and our roaming partners with the reliable connectivity they crave, whether at street level or on the subway platform.”

One-click Wi-Fi access will be available to Boingo subscribers, as well as Boingo’s Wi-Fi roaming partners, including Skype, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.

Expanding Boingo’s network of managed hotspots to include New York City’s subway stations continues the company’s growth in consumer service venues, including shopping malls, stadiums, arenas and quick-service restaurants, as well as the airport networks it operates globally.

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