BART rolls out free Wi-Fi at heavily-traveled stations ahead of Super Bowl LX
Bay Area Rapid Transit has started offering Wi-Fi connectivity at some of its busiest train stations ahead of Super Bowl LX-related events, the agency announced.
The free Wi-Fi 6E is designed for both fans and residents, and BART said in a press release on Monday that the service is now online at five heavily-travelled stations: Civic Center, Embarcadero, Powell Street, San Francisco International Airport, and West Oakland. The rollout comes during one of the busiest ridership weeks of the year, BART said.
This agency added that the launch is the first milestone of a project to bring Wi-Fi connectivity to all BART stations over the next two years, followed by onboard connectivity on all BART trains.
BART riders can access the current system, powered by London-based Boldyn Networks, by selecting the SSID network named "BART Wi-Fi," with no password or email required. Sessions on the network are limited to 20 minutes, and users will be required to confirm they are still actively using beyond that time, BART said.
"Offering high-quality Wi-Fi is being responsive to the needs of our riders and will enhance the customer experience by providing connectivity," said a prepared statement from Ravi Misra, BART assistant manager of technology. "Boldyn worked with us to deliver this initial phase as the Bay Area takes to the world stage for the Big Game, and more upgrades are slated in the months and years to come."
BART said the SFO and Powell Street stations were prioritized because of the Super Bowl fans flying into San Francisco, and families using Powell Street Station to head to the Super Bowl Experience and San Francisco Fan Zone events.
The next stations slated to receive Wi-Fi connectivity are 16th Street, 24th Street, Balboa Park, Glen Park, and Daly City. Those stations are expected to be online by June, while the remaining stations are expected to be completed by early 2028, BART said.
BART also noted that the Wi-Fi service comes at no cost to the agency because of a licensing agreement with Boldyn Networks, which allows Boldyn to use BART property to deploy the infrastructure. The agency said it would receive a share of telecom revenue generated on BART property, which is estimated at approximately $200 million over 20 years, along with ownership of several new assets.