Muni riders now can get cell service both above ground and inside our metro and subway tunnels.
If you text or use your phone to browse the internet while riding Muni, you may have noticed that you now get cell service where you couldn’t before. Specifically, it’s likely that your signal no longer drops when the train you’re on is underground.
Keeping you connected while you ride
Cellular service has been available in the Central Subway since it opened in 2023. And now, we have service in Muni Metro from the Embarcadero to West Portal Station. Service also is being added to the Sunset Tunnel on the N Judah line between Cole Valley and Duboce Park. That work should be done by late April or early May.
We should note that not all carriers have coverage in our subway and tunnels yet. Service currently is available from Verizon and AT&T Cellular. T-Mobile service is expected by July.
Providing service at no extra cost to the agency
We have been able to add this service without spending money. This is thanks to a partnership with BART that was approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and then-Mayor Ed Lee.
BART contracted with Boldyn Networks to upgrade its cellular service and install the infrastructure in our tunnels. And through our partnership with BART, Boldyn has reimbursed us for staff time spent on the installation.
Riders used to lose their cell signals on Muni at the Van Ness Station (pictured here). But service is now available at all our underground stations and throughout our metro and subway tunnels.
Good for riders and good for us
Our riders regularly use mobile phones to work, check in with friends and family and get news and information no matter where they are. So now, they don’t have to worry about losing connection while they’re underground on Muni. All of this supports and improves our customer experience.
Providing cell service underground also will help us generate revenue. This is another part of our partnership with BART. Once the installation costs have been recouped, we will get a percentage of the money the cellular carriers make from this service. We estimate that revenue sharing will begin in the first half of 2026. Given our current budget crisis, every little bit of revenue helps. So, we very much appreciate this part of the partnership.
What’s good for our riders is often good for Muni. Making cellular service available in our tunnels is an excellent example of that.