Mobile network

Network availability

Starting in December 2020, the mobile network will be available in all 68 stations and 71 km of the métro.

A partnership forged by technology


The mobile network is now up and running, featuring state-of-the-art mobile technologies: 3G, 4G and 4G LTE . You can now browse the Web, watch videos, listen to live music, make and receive phone calls and much more, while travelling inside métro cars, tunnels and stations.

The project began in 2014 and was made possible by a joint $50-million investment, shared equally by telecommunication providers Bell, Rogers, TELUS and Vidéotron.

FAQ

The STM worked with the service providers’ professional teams to ensure their safety on the work sites and to transport equipment in the tunnels. The installation work was performed in a highly secure environment, and all plans complied with the métro’s design standards and criteria regarding architecture and engineering. The STM also coordinated the work with the other projects currently under way in the métro.

Deploying a wireless communications network in the métro is a fairly complex operation, in terms of both the infrastructure’s design and installation. A number of different tasks were performed, such as amalgamating fiber optics, installing antennas in tunnels and stations, and constructing buildings to house the service providers’ equipment.

The tunnel installation was made a little easier with a custom-designed rolling deck that allowed teams to move along the tracks. All work inside the tunnel was performed at night, within a limited two-hour window, to avoid disrupting service to passengers.

Together, the STM and the service providers sometimes had to completely redesign certain areas inside the métro. For example, they had to open up and rebuild walls to run cables, install conduits on walls or under platforms, build a new floor to house equipment rooms, install new ventilation and electrical systems, and more.

Tests then had to be conducted to measure the network’s speed, coverage, reliability, capacity and to see how it reacted under heavy usage.

Tests will then be conducted to measure the network’s speed, coverage, reliability, capacity and see how it reacts under heavy usage.

The overall costs were estimated at $50 million and shared equally by TELUS, Bell, Rogers and Vidéotron.

There is no target schedule for WI-FI service. Deploying a mobile network was our priority to ensure the best possible service for Montréal métro users. A mobile network not only provides access to Internet but also to voice and data services.

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