The TTC board has decided to proceed with its plan to discontinue free Wi-Fi access at subway stations, while agreeing to explore the option of introducing internet access at bus bays in the future.
A proposal by Councillor Josh Matlow to reconsider keeping free Wi-Fi on subway platforms did not pass on Tuesday. Matlow expressed disappointment, stating that many low-income residents rely on the service as they cannot afford costly data plans.
Together, we are fighting to protect, and improve, free public wifi on the TTC. Thank you @TTCriders. pic.twitter.com/wOolCn6Kpm
— Josh Matlow (@JoshMatlow) September 24, 2024
“It was disappointing that a narrow majority of the TTC board didn’t even want to explore continuing free WiFi on subway platforms that many thousands of low-income Torontonians, many of whom can’t afford expensive data plans, rely on every day,” Matlow said in a statement to CBC Toronto.
However, Matlow’s motion to study the possibility of providing internet service in other transit areas was approved.
The TTC previously announced that it would be ending the Wi-Fi service, citing decreased usage, along with concerns over cost, security, and reliability. Rogers runs the 5G network for the TTC and said options provided to the agency included a plan to update, replace or scrap TConnect. The TTC decided to axe free Wi-Fi, saying the high $17 million cost to update the system was not a “wise investment.”
Rogers initially planned to discontinue TConnect by May 2024, citing insufficient support from a third-party vendor. The company later proposed extending the service for two years at a cost of $1.7 million, but this option was not recommended due to ongoing security concerns. According to Rogers, security patches for the existing TConnect platform are no longer available.
Free Wi-Fi on the TTC will be axed by the end of 2024, as planned.
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Love that all of the money the rest of Canada has funneled into Toronto's nonsense gets used like this.
Only in Toronto would something like this pass – wifi probably will cost 5 times what it should, because Toronto.
Wait hold on, so the same company that would benefit the most from increased data usage with the decommission of the wifi network (Rogers) is the one responsible for upgrades, changes, and recommendations for the wifi network? How does nobody see the clear conflict of interest?
Government loves conflict of interest. They won't do nothing.