Edit: SEPTA gave us a call to clear up some details
Continuing their subterranean domination of the city, AT&T and SEPTA have recently announced that AT&T customers will be able to receive cell phone signal while riding the Broad Street Line. The service is available between the Walnut-Locust and Fairmount Erie stops.
If I were SEPTA czar, first I would worship my Barack Obama poster for all of the recent stimulus money that came my way. But then I would use the new service to encourage advertisers to include text messaging in their promotions. Or maybe send out text alerts when trains are running late.
Last year AT&T and SEPTA announced a similar deal that rolled out coverage on the entire Market-Frankford line. According to spokesman Felipe Suarez, the idea to give cell phone service to riders on the subway lines originated when AT&T approached SEPTA. SEPTA never put the contract up for bid to other networks.
While we’ll stay out of the debate on whether having more opportunity to yak on a cell phone is a good thing or not (the R5 even has a quiet car), kudos to SEPTA for thinking of ways to improve their service.
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