Gov. Lamont gains improvements for Metro-North cell service

Many New Canaan residents spend time on Metro-North commuting into and out of work in New York City. Now being able to phone home, or get calls, while riding the rails will be easier thanks to work Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto did recently with AT&T Atlantic Region President John Emra. Last month, they announced work done on a project will significantly improve wireless internet service for rail commuters on the Metro-North New Haven Line.

Supported by a $6 million investment from AT&T, upgraded infrastructure has been installed and is now fully operational at more than 30 new sites located at strategic intervals along the corridor between New Haven and Connecticut’s western border. This includes a combination of high-powered macro towers and compact small cell nodes, which significantly boost AT&T’s network and deliver faster, more reliable LTE and 5G service. An additional five new sites are expected to launch later this year.

This project stems from Governor Lamont’s broader initiative to improve cellular connectivity and accelerate the deployment of high-speed technology along Connecticut’s rail corridors by setting up a process through public-private partnerships to install this infrastructure on state properties. AT&T engineers collaborated with state and private entities to design a layout and build strategy that maximizes coverage while also minimizing safety risks and disruptions to rail service.

The New Haven Line is the busiest commuter rail line in the United States.

“Expanding the availability of high-speed networks is critical if we want to be ahead of the curve on technology that makes our state even more attractive to workers and employers, and that includes along our rail corridors, which up until recently contained many dead zones where cellular service would frequently drop,” Governor Lamont said. “By partnering with telecommunications companies and allowing them to install their equipment on state properties, we can expand high-speed service to more areas and do so in a cost-effective manner. I appreciate AT&T for collaborating with us on this initiative.”