Pittsburgh's Port Authority adds Wi-Fi capabilities at 7 light rail stations

Pittsburgh’s Port Authority of Allegheny County and Comcast announced the availability of wireless service to passengers at seven of Pittsburgh's busiest light rail stations.

"We continue to work to improve the riders’ experience, and providing Wi-Fi, free of charge, does exactly that,” said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “We thank Comcast for its partnership with the Port Authority, and look forward to seeing and hearing how this amenity is received by our public transit users."

Port Authority's Board unanimously approved the seven-year, non-exclusive agreement with Comcast in January. The agreement permits Comcast to install wireless hotspots at Station Square, First Avenue, Steel Plaza Wood Street, Gateway, North Side, and Allegheny stations. There is no cost to Port Authority.

"Customers have told us that they want the ability to stay connected while waiting for a train, and we are thrilled to have worked with Comcast to deliver this service," said Port Authority Interim CEO David Donahoe. "We see this as an invaluable tool, especially once we roll out real-time tracking of our light rail vehicles, which is currently in a testing phase."

The Wi-Fi service is free to both Xfinity customers, who can sign in with their Xfinity user IDs and passwords, and non-Xfinity customers, who can create a user name and password. As with all Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots, devices register once and will automatically connect for all subsequent sessions. Comcast already provides service for transit patrons in Philadelphia, Boston, and southern New Jersey as part of the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network.