At the end of March, some Metro passengers riding the Metro Red and Purple lines can text, call and use the Internet during a portion of their underground commutes.
The service will be available to only Verizon users on the routes extending from Union Station to 7th Street/Metro Center, according to Metro Communications Manager Dave Sotero. Passengers will be able to use their phones while waiting on the platform and riding the train.
For now, only Verizon users will benefit from the change. Metro is in talks with other service providers to offer "ubiquitous" cellphone reception, according to Sotero.
For some commuters, having cell reception underground means getting more work done and being reachable by phone. For others, it might mean sitting next to someone talking loudly on the phone.
This change will not only be convenient for passengers who want to respond to emails and browse social media sites. Sotero says cell service on the subway will also bring an important safety benefit.
"Up until now, you wouldn't be able to contact anyone. Now you can alert authorities to anything suspicious in the subway," he said.
While there are plans to extend cell service to the rest of Metro's subway system, according to Sotero, no date has been announced.
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"This is the first phase," Sotero said.
The Red and Purple lines, which extend to North Hollywood and Wilshire, respectively, are entirely underground. By the end of March, there will only be cell service on the three stops between Union Station and 7th Street via an antenna cable that runs through the tunnels.
As for the next steps, Metro is currently in negotiations with service providers to get Wi-Fi on its underground routes as well, Sotero said.
