It’s been a year since underground wireless launched in New York City, and residents and tourists alike haven’t looked back or, apparently, up from their devices since.
In 2017, there were more than 280 million cellular calls made in the city’s underground subway system using the Transit Wireless Wi-Fi network, which also saw 120 million log-ins, the company said.
More than 500 terabytes of data are consumed on a monthly basis, or, as Transit Wireless clarified, “the equivalent of 5.4 billion cat memes.”
“The adoption of the network among subway riders has been incredible,” CEO William A. Bayne Jr. said in a statement. “It’s being put to the test every day by customers streaming videos or music, downloading a book or podcast; the demand is strong, and the network is fulfilling a great need.”
Video streaming was the top traffic-getter on Transit Wireless’ Wi-Fi network, while social media apps saw the most users with Facebook taking the top spot, followed by Instagram.
In Manhattan, the Times Square subway station had the highest number of Wi-Fi network logins, followed by Union Square and 34th Street-Herald Square.
In the outer boroughs, Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center ranked first in Brooklyn, while 149th Street-Grand Concourse was tops in the Bronx, and Roosevelt Avenue was the most popular in Queens.
Peak hours of Transit Wireless Wi-Fi were weekdays from 4-7 p.m., and Thursday was the busiest day. Mobile devices made up 96.3 percent of usage, with 3.06 percent coming from tablets and 0.68 percent from laptops.
Transit Wireless’ network is available in 281 underground stations of 22 subway lines for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless customers. It includes 150 miles of fiber and also delivers dedicated bands for emergency and operational use and the MTA’s Help Point Kiosks and countdown clocks.
