Despite successful examples in other cities, Chicago-area Metra (IL) has no plans to install wireless Internet connections on its commuter rail coaches. From the Chicago Tribune:
The commuter rail agency, which still punches tickets by hand and only recently started taking credit cards, says providing wireless Internet is too expensive and technologically challenging.
To address fiscal concerns, some agencies require service providers to pay for the installation in return for incentives like advertising. Metra has explored this option informally, according to spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet, but the agency does not want advertising on its trains. “We think it would be sort of compromising to the passengers because we would be forcing them to see and hear something they may not want to see and hear,” she said. And finally, according to the Tribune, Metra says that customers have the option to access the Internet through their cell phone providers. “It’s not like we’ve had a lot of people crying out for WiFi on the trains,” Pardonnet said. Link to full story in the Chicago Tribune.
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