'I M ON THE T': Tunnels ready for cellphones
By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff | December 27, 2007
Passengers riding the T in tunnels underneath downtown Boston will now be able to chat on their cellphones, text-message their friends, or use hand-held devices to e-mail their bosses from platforms and underground tunnels in and around four of the MBTA's busiest stations.
Yesterday, AT&T became the third cellphone provider to offer a signal underground. T-Mobile and Verizon both connected their networks earlier this month, but without any announcement from the T, many customers were not aware they could use their phones.
The service is currently being offered in Downtown Crossing, Government Center, State, and Park Street stations, and all the tunnels in between. Expansion to other stations and tunnels is expected as cellphone service providers see demand and are willing to pay for the connection.
Most riders interviewed yesterday said they appreciate the freedom to use their phones. But some also said they regretted losing one of the last places in Boston where people can both get a break from their phones and not be subjected to the noise and unwanted intrusion of others' conversations.
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