Rogers and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) are ending free public Wi-Fi service in Toronto’s subway stations, a move criticized for widening the city’s “digital divide.”
The TConnect system, launched over a decade ago, has faced “chronic underinvestment” and is now “reaching its end of life,” according to a TTC briefing note, according to the Toronto Star.
Rogers will continue expanding 5G coverage in subway stations and tunnels, allowing riders to use cellular data with major carriers. “This is a TTC decision,” said Rogers. “We proposed options to the TTC to update or replace the equipment and they decided to decommission TConnect.”
Free Wi-Fi on the TTC will cease by the end of the year.
Usage of the free Wi-Fi dropped by 65% in the past year, with about 20,000 logins per weekday. Replacing TConnect would cost an estimated $17 million, which TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said is not a “wise investment.” As for those who need Wi-Fi? “There are literally thousands of connection points around the city,” said Green.
Rogers planned to shut down TConnect by May 2024 due to a lack of support from a third-party vendor. The company later offered the TTC a two-year extension for $1.7 million, but this was not recommended due to unresolved security issues. Rogers stated that security patches are unavailable for the current TConnect platform.
TTC board member Josh Matlow opposed the decision, arguing it unfairly affects low-income riders who depend on free internet access. “I’d like to see Rogers have a change of heart, do the right thing and continue a service that a lot of people continue to rely on,” said Matlow.
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Funny how the WiFi network operates just fine when BAI owns it, and then all of a sudden when Rogers acquires it, it can't be maintained unless TTC pays millions of dollars for upgrades. Just as with the Shaw purchase, Robbers continues to deliver less and charge more in everything they do.
Not sure if you ever used TCONNECT, but it was never “just fine” – spotty, slow, and needing to constantly reenter details to connect.
I used it, or at least tried to. It wasn't very good and BAI should have never been allowed in there. "fromsk" just has a bee in his bonnet about Rogers.
Nothing on there worked very well when BAI owned it. Don't kid yourself.
Josh Marlow, who is on the TTC board, thinks Rogers should just donate 17 million dollars worth of equipment? Even low income people have cell phones.
Much like the TTC in general, indifference, a failure to properly develop or promote the service, and leaving it chronically underfunded – so no improvements. Might also argue why one should not leave the service in the hands of one provider, and the corporate vagaries that suggests.
Of course, it might be argued that with the cell service that Rogers bought from BAI – and was forced by govenment to 'share' – the need for station Wi-Fi might be moot. But that's also assuming every provider has access to it – and that its not using up subscribers' data to do so. And that's not the case.
So wait: a bad service sees a drop in users because it’s bad. Fixing it isn’t worthwhile because no one uses it?
See, if it’s fixed, more people than ever would use it. That’s how this works.
It only worked on platforms, not in tunnels, and would take longer to always have to reenter all your details and watch the ad than it took for the train to arrive – so basically, unless you wanted to miss your train, you could never use it.