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Which Subway Lines Boast The Best WiFi & Cell Service?
By
Scott Heins
Published Dec 15, 2016
Modified Dec 15, 2016
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By
Scott Heins
Published Dec 15, 2016
Modified Dec 15, 2016
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Thanks to the relatively new wonder that is subway cell service, New Yorkers are now capable of living their entire lives within the soothing embrace of LTE (which of course stands for Look at Tech Eternally). Wireless data and phone reception has been spreading through the train system since 2011, and WiFi is also expanding inside subway trains themselves. Now, a new study by tech firm Global Wireless Solutions has determined which stations offer great service and which ones are stuck in the early aughts angrily punching buttons on a flip phone.
Stations along the 4/6 lines boast the best service, while the J/Z stops rate lowest in GWS's study, which was comprised of over 70,000 separate tests throughout the subway system, using a special diagnostic app on Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphones. Service strength was tested for all major wireless providers. Rounding out the top five best-service train lines are the 5, F, 1, and M.
In terms of individual train stations, those hoping to Snapchat themselves streaming a podcast while they watch live Candy Crush tournaments broadcasted over Twitch will want to post up at either the 1 train 103rd Street and 28th Street stations, or the 110th Street 2/3 station. The list of slowest, worse-than-dial-up stations includes the Spring Street A/C/E, the Prince Street N/Q/R, and the Houston Street 1/2/3. Quite a lot has changed since last year's tests!
The last group of stations to be turned on are in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, according to the MTA. The Prince, Houston, and Spring Stations referenced in this study have not been turned on yet. When reached for comment, the MTA told Gothamist they are "on track to deliver service in every station by the end of the year, more than a year ahead of schedule.”
“This year is our third annual test of Manhattan subway stations while Transit Wireless has been outfitting platforms with wireless connectivity and we are seeing a marked improvement," GWS founder Dr. Paul Carter said Thursday. In its report, the company noted that only one of the top-rated lines from their 2015 findings, the F, came in near the top of this year's list—the result of overall heightened connectivity throughout the system.
Tagged
cell phones
cell service
MTA
subway
wifi
Scott Heins
Scott Heins is a freelance photo and video journalist based in New York City, and a frequent contributor to Gothamist + WNYC. His work often centers around labor rights, housing, and policing. In 2018-2019 he traveled to four states while covering a wave of public school teachers strikes, with work featured in The New York Times, The Intercept, Getty Images, Splinter, and Bloomberg Photos. Scott is a dues-paying member of the National Writers Union's Freelance Solidarity Project.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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