Will More Metro Riders Be Able To Use Their Cell Phones Soon?

Isbella Diaz
WMAL.com

WASHINGTON — (WMAL) Better cell phone service in the Metro system is coming, but for some riders it may still be years away.

Metro has said it has a deal in place with four major phone companies to improve service in all 101 miles of subway tunnels.

The contract between Metro and a cooperative of AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon, would allow Metro-rail riders to make and receive calls, texts and emails, and even surf the Web while on the train.

The work, however, will take place in phases and probably won’t be complete until 2020, even though some Metro riders will get the improved service well before then.

The deal between Metro and the phone companies was supposed to be completed three years ago, but obstacles that arose from wiring tunnels prevented it.