Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

News

Interns Will Give Us Cell Service Undergound


By

Jaya Saxena

Published Jun 21, 2010

Modified Jun 22, 2010


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

Flickr user aminTorres

 


By

Jaya Saxena

Published Jun 21, 2010

Modified Jun 22, 2010


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

After years of trying to figure out a plan, New York is sending the best of the best to find a cheap way to get cell phone service while we ride the subways: Interns! Seven summer interns from City College and Columbia University will be teaming up with communication networks professor Umit Uyar to find a way to provide cell service underground that's "less expensive and quicker to implement" than everything the MTA has come up with so far. In this case, "less expensive" means for $30,000.

The interns are also expected to create a wireless credit card payment system on the city's buses. And though comprehensive service is the goal, MTA CEO Jay Walder said in April, "If it has 80 percent of the features and it costs 10 percent of the money, I’ll take it." So how long after their idea goes into service do we add "No Talking on Cellphones" to the subway etiquette rules?

Tagged

cell phone

cell phone reception

interns

MTA

subway


Jaya Saxena

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE news

New Yorkers are paying $300 million for natural gas they don't even use

A new study found that nearly 2% of the city's natural gas is leaking into the air and causing climate pollution.

By

Rosemary Misdary

Published Oct 14, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET


Early Addition: Eric Adams did not convince a Wisconsin town to build a data center

Because the vote against it was unanimous, here are your early links: Jacket weather, swishing your Guinness, spooky decorations in North Jersey and more.

By

James Ramsay

News

Early Addition: Eric Adams did not convince a Wisconsin town to build a data center

Because the vote against it was unanimous, here are your early links: Jacket weather, swishing your Guinness, spooky decorations in North Jersey and more.

By

James Ramsay


Hit-and-run driver arrested trying to flee to Uzbekistan after deadly crash, NYPD says

By

Brittany Kriegstein

NY measles outbreak more widespread than official count, health officials say

By

Caroline Lewis

A NYC judge brought his gun into court for an ‘experiment’. Now he’s censured.

By

Samantha Max


Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .