Tech & Biz

Cell Phone Signals Coming to Toronto Subway

by Jordan Yerman | December 5, 2008 at 09:37 am

510 views | 9 Recommendations | 5 comments

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) will be enabling cell phone coverage in subway tunnels, so commuters can annoy each other by shouting into their phones over the noise of the rumbling train, while simultaneously guaranteeing that the only thing coming from whomever they're calling is "What?! Are you on the subway?! Call me when you get off!"

Good thing I use noise-reducing headphones.

Call me old-school, but I firmly believe that those public transit should be silent and surly, while surreptitiously reading over their fellow commuters' shoulders and trying not to yell out answers to the crossword puzzle.

The TTC has confirmed it's working on a plan to bring cell phones to the one place where no signal has gone before - the subway.

At present, some riders can use their handhelds in the few places where the Red Rocket comes outside - like Davisville or Rosedale on the Yonge-University line or the area after the subway leaves the tunnel for the outdoor stretch past Eglinton West Station on the Spadina end.

Other than that, it's radio silence because the signals were always cut off underground.

But TTC Chair Adam Giambrone claims a recent survey shows 59 per cent of riders want the option of being able to talk on their phones or send and receive emails on their BlackBerrys while using the service, with only 17 per cent opposed.

Honestly, though: how important are, we, really, that we can't wait 20 minutes to receive a call? Okay, and what if it is the hypothetical emergency you just thought of? What am I gonna do about it while on the train?

Text, I can deal with.

Oh, and nobody in Toronto calls it "the red rocket", for the obvious reasons. Hah.

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Paschen

at 11:05 on December 5th, 2008

How about WIFI?

In Tokyo there is WIFI and text Messaging, Cell are not allowed at all to be used for voice communication.

Blue Crush

at 13:30 on December 5th, 2008

Good Stuff! I hate overhearing people talking on cell phones in public, but I like the idea of being able to text.

silviald

at 04:07 on December 6th, 2008

silviald has contributed a photo to this story.

Mike Wood

at 14:23 on December 7th, 2008

One more reason to add to my long list of why I dislike using “the better way”

To me TTC stands for Take The Car or even Take Taxi Cab.

I’m guessing at first everyone and their uncle will be making calls. “Hey, guess where I'm calling you from.” Then it’ll mellow out and be just like on the bus where you don’t see it all that often.

rpshen

at 17:24 on December 8th, 2008

Great story. At first I was like "yay I`ll have reception in the subway" but then again I will hear endless meaningless conversations like you described above.