The daily commute is going to get a lot better for people in Chicago who use the subway. The city has announced that it has struck a deal with the nation’s four largest mobile carriers to provide 4G connectivity to the Chicago Transit Authority’s subway system.
The City of Chicago is working with Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile on this $32.5 million deal which will first upgrade the construction and design of a Distributed Antenna System that supports 4G. This has to be done before the coverage can be switched on for commuters.
Work on the project has already begun, it actually started last month, and so far it is expected that work will be completed by the end of this year. The 4G network in Chicago’s subway system will cover 22 miles coming in all the way from O’Hare airport to the tunnels of Blue and Red lines.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said this is another way the city is investing in a modern CTA “to encourage ridership, make Chicago more economically competitive, and open up more economic opportunities to more residents throughout the city.”
Once the project is completed Chicago will become the largest city in North America to have a subway system that providers commuters with full 4G coverage.
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