SkyTrain tunnel gets high speed internet
Passengers not with Rogers or Fido can still dial 911
SkyTrain commuters can now call 911, dial a friend or catch a Jigglypuff as they tear through Dunsmuir tunnel from Stadium-Chinatown to Waterfront.
The catch: you have to be a Rogers or Fido customer.
"It's up to other wireless carriers to work with Rogers and with TransLink to connect to the system and offer the service to their customers," said Rogers spokeswoman Lisa Rossington in an email to CBC.
While not everyone has access to the tunnel's high-speed wireless coverage, all riders can dial 911 regardless of their carrier. Passengers that need help can also use the trains' two-way speaker phone that connects to SkyTrain control, or the yellow strips above every window.
"It's a silent alarm that alerts SkyTrain control," said Translink representative Chris Bryan. "You know, if there's something happening and you don't want to make a big fuss about it."
Rossington says Rogers is still working on one last corridor with wireless dead spots: the stretch of track that links Edmonds, New Westminster and Columbia SkyTrain stops.