LIRR seeks to cover cellphone 'dead zones,' but no plan for train Wi-Fi

The MTA is looking to improve wireless service for tens of thousands of Long Island commuters, including by installing new cell towers along branches with spotty coverage, agency documents show.

The plan aims to address years-old complaints about inadequate connectivity throughout several sections of the LIRR’s 319 miles of territory, but it still falls short for some riders, who have long implored the nation’s largest commuter railroad to offer free Wi-Fi on its trains.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is currently seeking proposals to "build, maintain and operate a wireless communication network" throughout the LIRR’s tracks, as well as those of sister railroad Metro-North, according to procurement documents published online. The MTA put the contract out to bid in November and will accept proposals through May.

MTA officials declined to comment further on the plan.

The winning bidder will build and maintain cellular towers capable of supporting 4G and 5G wireless technology, as well as "future frequency spectrum." The contract would come at no cost to the MTA, which is also seeking to share revenue generated from the wireless system, and receive "other compensation and fees," according to MTA documents.

The MTA, in its published request for proposals, said much of the LIRR’s system "has good cellular wireless coverage, but there are long sections ... where the service is poor during peak or nonpeak service hours."

The document says that includes the area between Roslyn and Greenvale on the Oyster Bay line, between Stony Brook and Greenlawn on the Port Jefferson line, between Yaphank and Greenport on the Ronkokoma line, and much of the Montauk line from Islip to points east. 

The MTA document points out that the LIRR's assessment of cellular signal strength throughout its system is based on 2019 data, and is "now outdated." As part of its deal with the MTA, the company hired to expand cellular connectivity throughout the railroads would also conduct an analysis on signal strength and capacity.

Oyster Bay branch commuter Heather Damphouse said she got "zero reception" between Glen Head and Roslyn when taking the train on Monday, but noted that there are several "dead zones" in the area, even away from the LIRR’s territory.

"If I need a ride and I forget to call before I get near Roslyn, I can’t get through," Damphouse said in an interview. "If they had Wi-Fi on the train we could use, it obviously would not be a problem."

The MTA has previously explored the possibility of Wi-Fi onboard LIRR trains, and even issued a request for proposal from wireless providers in 2009, but ultimately decided not to move forward with the plan, citing the expense. In 2015, then-LIRR president Patrick Nowakowski called Wi-Fi on trains "a waste of money."

Instead, the LIRR has focused its efforts on improving cellular connectivity throughout its system, including through a "new state-of-the-art wireless network" rolled out in 2023 that covers about 30 miles of the railroad's property, including Grand Central Madison, Atlantic Terminal, and the respective tunnels connecting to them. 

Penn Station and the East River Tunnels connecting to it are owned and maintained by Amtrak, and are excluded from the MTA's cellular expansion plan.

Responding to a social media post on X in January from Plainview commuter Robert Pickus about the lack of Wi-Fi on trains, the LIRR noted that "the substantial investment to install and maintain WiFi on our sizeable [sic] fleet proved to be cost prohibitive."

Although some rail services, including Amtrak and Boston’s Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, have offered free Wi-Fi on board trains over the years, the connections were known to be slow and spotty. On its website, Amtrak says its onboard Wi-Fi "supports general web browsing activities only" and not "high-bandwidth actions such as streaming music, streaming video or downloading large files."

In an interview Monday, Pickus, 55, called it "crazy" that airlines can offer free Wi-Fi 30,000 feet in the air, but the LIRR can’t offer it on trains. He said improving cell coverage throughout the LIRR system is a "minor improvement," but no replacement for high-speed Wi-Fi.

"There’s Wi-Fi everywhere," Pickus said.

Gerard Bringmann, chairman of the LIRR Commuter Council, a rider advocacy group, said, in his experience cell coverage on the railroad is "fairly good," but for some spots on the Montauk line in Suffolk. Bringmann said he understands some commuters' desire and expectation of free Wi-Fi, especially if they have limited cellular data plans.

"Would I like to see it? Sure. But can we afford it? You have to be reasonable," said Bringmann, who also serves as a nonvoting MTA Board member. "With the financial situation at the MTA still very unsettled, Wi-Fi on the trains is a luxury, not a necessity."

By Alfonso A. Castillo

alfonso.castillo@newsday.com@alfonsoreports

Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.