Boingo has deployed 5G and Wi-Fi at Penn Station in the LIRR concourse, adding passenger connectivity and operational support while further cellular enhancements continue across the main concourse.

Renovated LIRR concourse at Penn Station where 5G and Wi-Fi infrastructure has been deployed
Renovated Long Island Rail Road concourse at Penn Station. Photo: Metropolitan Transportation Authority / CC BY 2.0

Boingo Wireless⁠ has installed a neutral-host distributed antenna system and a Wi-Fi network in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s main Long Island Rail Road concourse. Cellular enhancements remain underway, while the Wi-Fi service and wider wireless infrastructure are already operating in the station’s principal passenger area.

A shared network for passengers and carriers

The distributed antenna system is designed to extend enhanced 5G service from Tier One mobile carriers throughout the LIRR concourse. Together with high-speed Wi-Fi, it supports the MTA TrainTime app, mobile ticketing, phone calls, text messages, email, streaming and E911 requirements.

Penn Station handles an estimated 600,000 commuter rail, regional rail and subway passengers on an average weekday. That scale makes indoor coverage important for passengers checking schedules, receiving platform information and using digital tickets in a heavily used station environment.

“At high-traffic venues like Penn Station, reliable connectivity isn’t a luxury—it’s essential,” said Boingo CEO Mike Finley.

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Wireless systems also support station operations

Boingo designed, constructed and manages the converged network. The infrastructure is also intended to connect operational systems, including security cameras, digital signage, public-safety communications and other station technologies.

Passengers in the renovated Penn Station LIRR concourse during construction work
Passengers in the LIRR concourse at Penn Station during renovation work in November 2022. Photo: ComplexRational / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0.

The deployment forms part of the broader reconstruction and renovation program at Penn Station. The MTA’s earlier LIRR concourse and East End Gateway project⁠ widened the passenger corridor, raised its ceiling and introduced accessibility, lighting and wayfinding improvements. The new wireless layer adds digital capacity to that physical modernization.

Penn Station joins other connected MTA hubs

The Penn Station installation extends Boingo’s work across major MTA facilities. The company also provides cellular and Wi-Fi infrastructure at Grand Central Madison, Jamaica Station and Atlantic Terminal.

For passengers, the immediate change is more consistent access to mobile services in the LIRR concourse. For the operator, the same infrastructure supports connected equipment and public-safety functions as Penn Station’s wider modernization continues.

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