WASHINGTON-Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), an outspoken wireless consumer advocate in Congress, is pushing legislation that would require mobile-phone carriers to give subscribers the ability to make 911 emergency calls in underground subways.
While wireless carriers have opposed Wiener’s cell-phone consumer legislation in the past, some carriers may be inclined to give his new initiative a good hard look.
Today there are no hard and fast rules governing subway cell-phone access. If Washington, D.C., is representative of the rest of the country, the ability of consumers to operate cell phones in subterranean subways depends on whether they are signed up with a carrier that has a contractual agreement with the local transit authority. As a consequence, many cell-phone customers lose their wireless connections while traveling on underground subways. Being able to offer cell-phone subway service can give a wireless carrier a competitive advantage in a particular locale.
In the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the nation’s capital and New York City-events that triggered unprecedented traffic on mobile-phone networks in the two cities-cell-phone subway access has evolved into something of a safety issue. Giving cell-phone subway access even greater weight in the post-9/11 era is the fact that subways-at least in major cities-have been identified by homeland security officials as potential targets of terrorists.
A year ago this month, terrorists ignited bombs on trains in Madrid, killing 191 people and wounding more than 1,500 others. Other critical infrastructure such as telecom systems, computer networks and power grids also are deemed possible targets for terrorists.
In the national capital area, Verizon Wireless has a long-time contract with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Sprint PCS subscribers can get cell-phone service on underground subways by roaming on Verizon Wireless’ network, but doing so is expensive and service quality is spotty.
Cingular Wireless L.L.C., the No. 1 mobile-phone operator, T-Mobile USA Inc., Nextel Communications Inc. and Sprint PCS have been working with WMATA in recent years to strike a deal that would enable their customers to make and receive calls on underground trains. A wireless industry official last week said those talks are progressing.
The Weiner bill, which would have carriers share wireless infrastructure, was referred to the House telecom and Internet subcommittee on March 14.
Weiner could not be reached for comment.
