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Dan Grabauskas believes the T's Wi-Fi program is one of the first in the nation. |
Passengers on one of the Commonwealth's busiest commuter rail lines will be able to e-mail clients, exchange YouTube videos, or amuse themselves with details of Tom Brady's personal life from their laptops beginning this week.
The MBTA announced a pilot program yesterday that makes free wireless Internet access available along the Worcester/Framingham rail line to South Station.
The program officially begins Wednesday, but many riders have noticed they already have Internet access in some train cars.
Daniel A. Grabauskas, general manager of the MBTA, said he believes the program is among the first in the nation to offer wireless Internet access on a commuter rail.
The service has become routine in airports and coffee shops, and is even appearing on airplanes. But commuter trains have taken longer to adapt.
"If we really want to try to boost commuter ridership, then the way to do that is to have a difference that gives a competitive advantage for people getting on a train rather than getting in their car," Grabauskas said in a phone interview.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority began developing the service more than a year ago after Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray, then mayor of Worcester, suggested it.
The agency has spent $260,000 so far on development. Recent testing showed service available throughout the 45-mile line, with some weak spots near Boston but no loss of signal, Grabauskas said.
By Wednesday, one designated Wi-Fi car in each Worcester/Framingham train will be marked with a sign explaining the program.
Riders in other cars might be able to pick up a signal as well, but the strongest signal will come from the designated car.
Because the MBTA rotates trains throughout the commuter system, some passengers on other lines might occasionally get one of the 45 Wi-Fi cars outside of the Worcester/Framingham area. In those cases, the service will work, but it will probably be spottier.
Riders will know they have a Wi-Fi car by the poster advertisement inside. The MBTA plans to post a guide on its website that will indicate how strong or weak the signal is in various parts of the commuter network.
Eventually, Grabauskas wants continuous strong service throughout the system and he wants it to be free to commuters. But at this point, he says he has no cost estimates or timetable. Much will depend on what managers learn from users during the pilot program, he said.
"The goal is to work out the bugs on the Worcester/Framingham line," he said.
The MBTA says 18,000 passengers rely on the Worcester/Framingham line on a typical weekday. It has been plagued by delays in recent months, largely because it is the only line dispatched by CSX Transportation, which also runs freight on the line.
Because bandwidth is limited, the T is also looking at technology that would limit how much bandwidth individual commuters can use so the signal spreads among more people. That could mean commuters would have to wait until they get to work to download videos.
Noah Bierman can be reached at nbierman@globe.com.
© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.
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