Riders on the Seattle subway system should begin to notice their mobile devices can now connect to LTE networks thanks to a distributed antenna system deployed by Mobilitie.
T-Mobile US subscribers were the first to take advantage of the underground connectivity due to a licensing agreement that kicked in on Aug. 22. Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility customers are set to get connected on the underground transit system next month, followed by Sprint, according to the local NBC affiliate.
It didn’t take long for Seattle-based Reddit user petarmarinov37 to notice the improved service. In a post to the message board and online community: “I first noticed when I got a text message somewhere between Westlake and Capitol Hill stations, for those of you who are familiar with Seattle. Speed test was taken at Capitol Hill station. I maintained three to four bars all the way through University of Washington station!”
The speed test, accompanied by a screen shot, showed a download speed of 71.1 megabits per second and an upload speed of 22.32 Mbps.
“T-Mobile customers are the lucky ones,” the Seattle Transit Blog reports, “as they now have service between Westlake-UW. Verizon is expected to be added in a couple weeks, and then AT&T.” The blog reports Sprint “has not yet signed a contract.”
Next up is the stretch of subway from Westlake to the International District followed by the Beacon Hill area in 2017.
Mobilitie DAS bringing cellular to Seattle subway
