[Admiral Beez]

I like the idea of quiet cars, but I feel like those cars would probably get packed.

I love the quiet room at London's Heathrow Airport.

 

[lawsond]

re: adma's suggestion for lou reed's metal machine music.
that album was reviewed in rolling stone magazine in 1975 as sounding like "the tubular groaning of a galactic refrigerator".

i have never read a more perfect description of a ride in ttc subway car...except when the door closes, the light stays on.

 

[Eug]

Which is all the more reason to provide the service; there's really no good reason not to - other than a sort of Luddite nostalgia.

Bingo.

So, has this been implemented anywhere in Toronto? All of Toronto's subways should have had this a decade ago. Is there a 3G/4G plan for the Eglinton Crosstown?

Having net access on the subway is a great way of getting simple work done. Checking emails, etc. And even if you're not working, it's good for that quick urbantoronto.ca read, instead of doing it when you get home, where your kids may be waiting to play with you.

 

[Johnny Au]

How about adding Wi-Fi access to the subway system (with a surcharge of probably one token per 1GB uploaded and downloaded)?

 

[Eug]

How about adding Wi-Fi access to the subway system (with a surcharge of probably one token per 1GB uploaded and downloaded)?

You are awfully optimistic on pricing. And implementation would be a major issue, esp. for smartphone users, and it still would not solve the problem of voice support. Even as a smartphone user, I think voice support is the much more important issue here as compared to data.

As for 3G repeaters. I suspect the TTC wants to make this a money-making proposition and would demand compensation from the wireless providers for that privilege. I think the wireless providers would provide compensation, but then comes the question of how much. Maybe that's where the hold up lies?

 

[Johnny Au]

What should the reasonable price be to commuters who want to use their cellphones and Wi-Fi connection, such that they can be implemented profitably (especially given the stance of a pro-business mayor)?

 

[Eug]

What should the reasonable price be to commuters who want to use their cellphones and Wi-Fi connection, such that they can be implemented profitably (especially given the stance of a pro-business mayor)?

This should be negotiated between the TTC and wireless providers. The latter pays the former for access to the stations. Support on the actual running subways would be even better, but support within the stations would be a good first step.

There should be no extra cost to the commuters... which might mean no WiFi at all, and I think that's fine.

 

[Komiksulo]

I could see them implementing this as a completely-separate GSM/UMTS network on which all the existing providers would roam. This would make charging user fees much simpler, while making possible fair access to everyone.