It appears that Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite constellation is not just aiming to provide high-speed internet service. Based on recent filings to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Starlink also plans to introduce a suite of related products to its portfolio, from a dedicated phone service, emergency backup for voice calls, and more affordable internet access for low-income customers through the US government’s Lifeline program.
Details of Starlink’s expanded services were mentioned in SpaceX’s petition to the FCC for a designation as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC). According to the Elon Musk-led company, an ETC designation is required in some US states where the satellite internet program won government funding to provide internet access to underserved areas. It is also required to receive reimbursement from the FCC’s Lifeline program, which offers discounts on telecom services for low-income customers.
Starlink’s beta today only offers internet access, but in its filing, SpaceX noted that “Starlink Services will provide voice telephony services, including: (a) voice-grade access to the public switched telephone network (‘PSTN’) or its functional equivalent; (b) minutes of use for local service provided at no additional charge to end-users; (c) access to emergency services; and (d) toll limitation services to qualifying low-income consumers in accordance with 47 CFR §§ 54.500, et seq. Starlink Services will offer voice services on a standalone basis at rates that are reasonably comparable to urban rates.”
SpaceX further mentioned that in its baseline plan, “Starlink Services would provide telephone services connecting consumers to its MSP’s platform using its network capacity, which is available to consumers through their customer premises equipment.” Interestingly enough, the Elon Musk-led company added that Starlink customers would have the option to use a third-party, conventional phone for its service. This may prove to be a key selling point for the service, especially considering the mobile market’s robust options today.
Like other VoIP providers, SpaceX’s FCC filings have also mentioned that Starlink will sell a 24-hour battery backup to customers. Such a product would allow customers to access Starlink’s services even in the event of a power outage or other emergency situations. These redundancies would not only be applied at the user level, either, as backups would also be implemented at the network level, as per Ars Technica.
“At the user level, Starlink Services will offer a 24-hour battery backup option for user equipment that will provide the ability to make phone calls in the event of a power outage. At the system level, Starlink Services is building redundancy into the network. For example, every user will have multiple satellites in view with which it can communicate. Additionally, every satellite will have multiple gateway sites in view with which it can communicate. The Starlink traffic routing system ensures that every user is served with bandwidth before users demanding more bandwidth get additional throughput assigned, which gives the Starlink network robustness in the event of emergencies requiring high throughput,” SpaceX noted.
Starlink’s battery backup technology would likely be cost-effective and industry-leading considering that Tesla, an electric car and energy company also led by Elon Musk, is developing its own custom battery cells. If SpaceX ends up leveraging Tesla’s batteries like the company’s custom-designed 4680 tabless cells, Starlink’s 24-hour backup batteries may very well become one of, if not the best in the industry.
Apart from a dedicated phone service and a 24-hour backup battery, SpaceX also discussed a program that would bring Starlink’s services to low-income households. SpaceX’s FCC filings did not include much details about this program for now. However, considering that the Lifeline program currently provides a $9.25 monthly subsidy for low-income households to get broadband access or a $5.25 monthly per household subsidy for phone service, as well as the fact that the Starlink beta currently costs $99 per month, there seems to be a fair chance that SpaceX would offer a lower-cost version of its satellite internet service in the future.
Read SpaceX’s FCC petition for an ETC designation below.
Starlink Services LLC ETC Designation Application.pdf by Simon Alvarez on Scribd
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A 90-year-old California man frustrated with his slow AT&T internet service took out two newspaper ads totaling $10,000 to tell the company’s CEO that he needs to do a better job of providing his north Hollywood neighborhood with faster speed.
Aaron M. Epstein said he’s been an AT&T customer since 1960 and only started having issues with his internet speed in the last five years when internet streaming became widely available.
He said he was paying for 3.5 Mbps, but it couldn’t handle streaming.
“When I would watch a movie on Netflix or some other streaming service, it was like a slideshow. It would start and stop, start and stop, very frustrating,” he said in a phone interview Friday.
Epstein said he started calling the company to ask for faster service but was told that it wasn’t available in his area.
A 90-year-old California man took out two ads in the Wall Street Journal to let AT&T’s CEO know about his abysmal internet service speed.Courtesy Dow Jones
Epstein said he didn’t want to change to another internet provider because he was concerned about having to change his phone number and email address, so he decided to take out two ads in The Wall Street Journal to vent his frustration.
A spokesperson for The Wall Street Journal confirmed that the ads ran in the Feb. 3 edition of the newspaper; one in New York and the other in Texas where AT&T has a headquarters in Dallas. The spokesperson declined to comment on how much Epstein paid for the ads.
Epstein titled the ads, “Open Letter to Mr. John T. Stankey CEO AT&T.”
“Many of our neighbors are the creative technical workers in the Universal, Warner Brothers, Disney studios in the adjacent city of Burbank and our city. We need to keep up with current technology and have looked to AT&T to supply us with fast internet service,” it reads.
“Yet, although AT&T is advertising speeds up to 100 MBS for other neighborhoods, the fastest now available to us from ATT is only 3 MBS. Your competitors now have speeds of over 200 MBS. Why is AT&T a leading communications company, treating us so shabbily in North Hollywood?”
The day the ads ran, Epstein said he received a call from Stankey’s office asking him how they could resolve the situation. Earlier this week, he received a surprise: two AT&T technicians who arrived at his home to set up a faster internet speed.
“It’s definitely a lot faster and it’s everything I expect of it,” he said of his new service.
Epstein said that some people have praised him for what he did while others criticized him over the hefty price for the ads.
“I’m not a frivolous spender of money and $10,000 means a lot to me, but in this particular instance it was money well spent,” he said, explaining that he and his wife have been passing the time during the coronavirus pandemic by streaming TV shows and movies.
“People are not going to expensive restaurants. People are not going on fancy vacations. My wife and I are at home and watch Netflix and streaming services more. So, I have no complaints whatsoever about spending this kind of money,” he said.
Epstein said he received a phone call from Stankey and he thanked the CEO for the upgraded service. He also asked that his neighbors receive faster internet speed.
An AT&T spokesperson said Friday that the company has completed its planned expansion of AT&T Fiber, a faster internet speed, in Epstein’s neighborhood.
“This neighborhood was already planned to receive fiber and is part of our ongoing fiber expansion in the larger Los Angeles area. Nationally, we recently announced that we will bring AT&T Fiber to an additional 2 million residential locations this year,” the spokesperson said.
Minyvonne Burke
Minyvonne Burke is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.
Kaltbaum Capital Management President Gary Kaltbaum and ‘Barron’s Roundtable’ host Jack Otter on the future of Disney following the company’s recent earnings report.
The Disney magic has cast its spell over streaming consumers faster than even the masters of the “Mouse House” imagined.
The Walt Disney Company revealed Thursday in its earnings announcement that its 15-month old streaming service, Disney+, totaled 94.9 million subscribers for the quarter ending January 2. The number is not only well ahead of analyst expectations, but when Disney first announced the service it expected to have 60 to 90 million subscribers by September of 2024. In December during its investor day, Disney brass revised the projections saying the red-hot service could hit 260 million by 2024.
Currently, Netflix is the world’s biggest direct to consumer video service with 203 million subscribers worldwide.
DISNEY CALIFORNIA AVENTURE TO HOST ‘TICKETED EXPERIENCE” WITH FOOD, MERCH, ENTERTAINMENT
“We’re confident that, with our robust pipeline of exceptional, high-quality content and the upcoming launch of our new Star-branded international general entertainment offering, we are well-positioned to achieve even greater success going forward,” CEO Bob Chapek said in the company’s earnings release.
The success of the company’s streaming services has offset the losses the company continues to take as the coronavirus pandemic keeps its theme parks either shuttered entirely or operating at reduced capacity.
The company reported its third straight revenue decline of $16.2 billion, a 22% decrease compared to $20.8 billion a year ago. Adjusted earnings per share in the quarter was 32 cents a share, compared to a $1.53 per share last year.
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The Parks, Experiences and Products segment’s operating income decreased by $2.6 billion to a loss of $119 million. The segment’s revenue for the quarter decreased 53 percent to $3.6 billion.
Disneyland Resort and California Adventure in Anaheim, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland were closed during the quarter, while Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida Shanghai Disney Resort remained open at significantly reduced capacities.
However, Disney’s California properties are showing signs of activity. Disneyland was utilized as a COVID-19 vaccination site with 100,000 doses administered to date while Disney’s California Adventure is set to host a “ticketed experience” next month, with food, merchandise and entertianment.
Chapek noted on the company’s earnings call with analysts on Thursday that average daily attendance at Walt Disney World grew significantly quarter-over-quarter, in part due to increased capacity as a result of the company’s health and safety protocols. Disney noted it continues to be pleased with the rate of bookings at its theme parks during the current quarter.
“It’s clear that people want to reconnect with loved ones and spend time together doing things they enjoy, and given the demand we’re seeing now, we’re confident it will only grow once the pandemic is behind us,”Chapek said.
Disney has been hard at work expanding its offerings at Walt Disney World, with two new upcoming Epcot attractions, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure — based on its animated hit film, “Ratatouille” and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind from the two smash Marvel movies.
Expectations are also high for a nighttime spectacular show, “Harmony,” as well as the upcoming Star Wars Galactic Cruiser hotel.
A Marvel-themed land known as Avengers Campus is slated to open at the California Adventure later this year, and Mickey’s Runaway Railway will come to Disneyland in 2023.
Chapek said the outlook for the reopening of its theme parks for the rest of 2021 will depend on the rate in which people receive COVID-19 vaccinations, but acknowledged reopenings will likely include continued social distancing and mask-wearing.
“We have no doubt that when we reopen up in parks that we’re closed or increase the capacity that we’ll have some level of social distancing and mask wearing, you know, for the remainder of this year, that’s our expectation. But I believe that Dr. Fauci said earlier today that he hopes that there’s vaccines for everyone who wants them by April this year,” Chapek said. “If that happens, that is a game changer and that could accelerate our expectation and give people the confidence that they need to come back to the park. Will there be some overlap until we know that we could herd immunity? Sure, there will. But do we also believe that we’ll be in the same state of six-foot social distancing and mask wearing in 2022? Absolutely not.“
The company expects an additional $1 billion in costs related to addressing government regulations and implementing safety measures for employees, talent and guests at its theme parks during fiscal 2021.
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Despite the hurdles the pandemic has put in front of the theme parks, the company has also benefitted from million staying at home and watching video content. Disney’s direct-to-consumer revenues for the quarter increased 73% to $3.5 billion and the segment’s operating loss decreased from $1.1 billion to $466 million thanks to strong subscriber growth at Disney+ and Hulu as well as increased advertising revenue driven by higher impressions at Hulu.
Disney+ reported 21.2 million global net additions in the quarter, bringing its total to 94.9 million subscribers. Hulu reached 39.4 million subscribers, with its Live TV accounting for 4 million of those subscribers and subscription video on demand (SVOD) only service accounting for 35.4 million, and ESPN’s total subscribers at the end of the quarter were 12.1 million.
Disney cited a strong combined release of Disney’s Soul on the streaming service and in theaters on Christmas Day. The film has taken in nearly $100 million in the global box office.
“We thought that was a really nice thing to do for our consumer base and our subscriber base, given the holiday and given the fact that we have talked consistently about remaining flexible in terms of how we’re going to go ahead and put our titles out into the marketplace,” Chapek told analysts. “We were absolutely thrilled by what that brought to our business in terms of both acquisition and retention.”
Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon” is set to premiere on the streaming service on March 5 under Premiere Access, following the model of the live-action “Mulan.” Meanwhile, Marvel’s “Black Widow ” is still targeting an exclusive theatrical release of May 7. However, Chapek noted the company would watch the reopening of movie theaters very carefully in determining whether that release strategy will change.
Average monthly revenue per paid subscriber for Disney+ decreased from $5.56 to $4.03 due to the launch of Disney+ with Hotstar. Disney Plus Hotstar – available in India and Indonesia — carries a lower average price point than other regions and contributed to the drop.
EPSN+’s average monthly revenue per paid subscriber increased $4.44 to $4.48 due to an increase in pricing. Average monthly revenue per paid subscriber for Hulu’s SVOD only service increased $13.15 to $13.51 due to higher per-subscriber advertising revenue, a lower mix of wholesale subscribers and an increase in per-subscriber premium and feature add-on revenue.
The Hulu Live TV + SVOD service increased from $59.47 to $75.11 due to increases in retail pricing, higher per-subscriber advertising revenue and an increase in per-subscriber premium and feature add-on revenue.
“We believe the strategic actions we’re taking to transform our Company will fuel our growth and enhance shareholder value, as demonstrated by the incredible strides we’ve made in our DTC [direct-to-consumer] business, reaching more than 146 million total paid subscriptions across our streaming services at the end of the quarter,” said Chapek.
More streaming muscles will likely be flexed in the days ahead when Star, sort of Disney’s international version of Hulu featuring general-entertainment – launches packaged with Disney Plus.
Also, more subscribers are expected to sign on the wake of Disney’s December announcement of some 100 upcoming projects including 10 new Marvel series, 10 new “Star Wars” series, 15 Disney live-action, Disney Animation, and Pixar series and 15 all-new Disney live-action, Disney Animation, and Pixar feature films.
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Revenue for Disney’s Media and Entertainment Distribution units — its cable channels and the ABC television network — fell 5% to $12.6 billion with total operating income of $1.45 billion for the quarter.
Disney shares rose about 2% in after-hours trading on the earnings announcement.
Update: Three hours after first publishing this article, the official PSN Service Status page now says that there are no known issues to report. We assume that’s the end of that, but this has still been one of the most widely reported PSN problems in a long time. Hopefully just a blip!
Original Story: The PlayStation Network is reportedly experiencing a number of issues. At the time of writing, the official PSN Service Status page lists problems with account management, gaming and social, PlayStation Now, the PlayStation Store, and PlayStation Music. Basically everything, then.
It’s been a long, long time since the PlayStation Network ran into widespread trouble — but it’s unclear just how many people these problems are impacting. Right now, we’re signed in on PS5 with nothing to report, but something is clearly going on for a number of other users
We will, of course, update this article as we learn more.
Are you having problems? Give us a sit rep in the comments section below.
iOS 14.5 looks like it will be packed with features, including the ability to use your Apple Watch to unlock an iPhone with Face ID while you’re wearing a mask and support for next-gen console controllers. But users who have already installed the beta discovered another great feature: you’ll be able to select a third-party default music service when you ask to play a song using Siri — including Spotify (via MacRumors).
When you ask Siri to play a song on iOS 14.5, you may be prompted to select which app you want to use to play it, according to a screenshot shared on Reddit.
The menu to select an app.Image: u/matejamm1 on Reddit
I’m on the iOS 14.5 beta, but interestingly, the feature worked a bit differently for me. I asked Siri to play some Tame Impala, and I wasn’t presented with a list of apps to choose from, like in the screenshot above. Instead, I was shown a prompt asking for access to my Spotify data, which I allowed. After that, requests for songs went through Spotify without any prompts.
Other users on Reddit have reported some differences in the feature’s behavior as well, so there may still be some kinks for Apple to iron out ahead of iOS 14.5’s public release. Because this feature is still in beta, there’s always a chance it could be changed or removed before iOS 14.5 comes out.
The ability to set a default music app follows Apple’s welcome move to let users set their default mail or browser clients starting with iOS 14. You’re able to set default mail or browser apps in settings, but I haven’t found a way to set a default music app in settings. Maybe Apple will add that down the line. Still, having the option to set a default music player for Siri requests in this beta is a nice step forward. Here’s hoping Apple lets users set more defaults in future updates.
Enlarge / A stack of 60 Starlink satellites launched in 2019.
A new SpaceX filing outlines plans for Starlink to offer phone service, emergency backup for voice calls, and cheaper plans for people with low incomes through the government’s Lifeline program.
The details are in Starlink’s petition to the Federal Communications Commission for designation as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) under the Communications Act. SpaceX said it needs that legal designation in some of the states where it won government funding to deploy broadband in unserved areas. The ETC designation is also needed to get reimbursement from the FCC’s Lifeline program for offering discounts on telecom service to people with low incomes.
Starlink is in beta and costs $99 per month, plus a one-time fee of $499 for the user terminal, mounting tripod, and router. As we noted yesterday, the SpaceX filing also says Starlink now has over 10,000 users in the US and abroad. SpaceX should have capacity for several million customers in the US—the company has permission to deploy up to 1 million user terminals (i.e. satellite dishes) and is seeking FCC permission to raise the maximum-deployment level to 5 million user terminals.
VoIP plans
While the Starlink beta only includes broadband, SpaceX said it will eventually sell VoIP service that includes “(a) voice-grade access to the public switched telephone network (‘PSTN’) or its functional equivalent; (b) minutes of use for local service provided at no additional charge to end users; (c) access to emergency services; and (d) toll limitation services to qualifying low-income consumers.”
Voice service will be sold “on a standalone basis at rates that are reasonably comparable to urban rates,” SpaceX said. The plan isn’t finalized, but SpaceX said it is exploring the use of “a white-label managed service provider (MSP) voice platform.”
“In this baseline plan, Starlink Services would provide telephone services connecting consumers to its MSP’s platform using its network capacity, which is available to consumers through their customer premises equipment,” the filing said. “Consumers will have the option of using a third-party, conventional phone connected to a Session Initiation Protocol standards-compliant analog terminal adaptor or a native-IP phone selected from a list of certified models.”
SpaceX said it is also exploring other phone-service options:
Starlink Services continues to assess integrating alternative standalone voice applications into the Starlink network, including other third-party providers, or possibly developing its own proprietary solution. The company may adopt such approaches in the event that further testing demonstrates alternative solutions would provide a superior experience to the end customer or, if Starlink Services determines the end user would benefit from the existence of multiple voice solutions to introduce competition and redundancy into the supply chain.
Emergency backup
Like other VoIP providers, Starlink would sell a 24-hour battery backup to customers who want it. “At the user level, Starlink Services will offer a 24-hour battery back-up option for user equipment that will provide the ability to make phone calls in the event of a power outage,” SpaceX said.
The 24-hour backup offer would satisfy an FCC rule passed in 2015 under then-Chairman Tom Wheeler. Though the backup option described in SpaceX’s filing applies to phone service, we’ve seen from the Starlink beta that the user terminal can deliver broadband with a portable power supply.
SpaceX’s filing also detailed backup and redundancy plans at the network level:
Starlink Services will have sufficient back-up power to remain functional without an external power source in emergency situations, will be able to reroute traffic around damaged facilities, and will be able to manage traffic spikes resulting from emergency situations… At the system level, Starlink Services is building redundancy into the network. For example, every user will have multiple satellites in view with which it can communicate. Additionally, every satellite will have multiple gateway sites in view with which it can communicate. The Starlink traffic routing system ensures that every user is served with bandwidth before users demanding more bandwidth get additional throughput assigned, which gives the Starlink network robustness in the event of emergencies requiring high throughput.
Lifeline
SpaceX didn’t provide much detail on its Lifeline plans beyond the fact that it intends to offer them.
“Starlink Services currently has no Lifeline customers because only carriers designated as an ETC can participate in the Lifeline program,” the company said. But once it gets the ETC designation, SpaceX said it “will provide Lifeline to qualifying low-income consumers and publicize the availability of Lifeline service in a manner reasonably designed to reach those likely to qualify for the service.”
Lifeline currently provides a $9.25 monthly subsidy for low-income households to get broadband or a $5.25 monthly per-household subsidy for phone service. Based on Starlink’s beta price of $99 per month, the subsidies would not be enough to make that plan affordable for low-income consumers, so we’d expect SpaceX to offer other, cheaper plans to customers who meet the low-income requirements. With Lifeline, each provider seeks reimbursement from the fund after providing service to eligible consumers.
Starlink to be common-carrier service
SpaceX’s filing also said that Starlink broadband and phone will be offered as common-carrier services. “For purposes of this [ETC] designation, Starlink Services will provide broadband Internet access service and standalone voice service to the public throughout the Service Areas on a common carrier basis,” the filing said.
Whether broadband should be regulated as a common-carrier service has been a partisan battle. The Obama-era FCC classified ISPs as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act in order to enforce net neutrality rules, and the Trump-era FCC reversed that classification. Broadband lobby groups bitterly opposed the Title II classification.
“The FCC allows carriers to offer broadband on a common-carrier basis if they so desire,” Harold Feld, a longtime telecom lawyer and senior VP of consumer-advocacy group Public Knowledge, told Ars.
SpaceX taking on the common-carrier classification as part of its plan to be an ETC and accept government funding doesn’t necessarily have any major significance. However, Feld said, “It suggests that [SpaceX is] unlikely to fight against Title II classification. Ideally, they might even support Title II. But at a minimum, this demonstrates that they don’t think Title II common carriage is some kind of horrible burden that will prevent them from offering service.”
Public beta testing for SpaceX’s satellite-beamed internet service kicked off late last year for people in the US, Canada and the UK, and an FCC application (PDF) tells us a bit about how things are going so far. CNBC points out the filing, which seeks designation for Starlink as an eligible telecommunications carrier, and notes that SpaceX reports over 10,000 people are already using the service.
Starlink is seeking designation so it can access the millions of dollars it’s been granted from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund to provide service across a number of states. The letter also notes that SpaceX already has more than 1,000 satellites in orbit (it just launched a few more last night), and that its network is showing it can provide more than 100/20 megabits per second connections, as well as less than 31ms of latency for 95 percent of round-trip measurements.
On February 1, the app launched on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store, successfully opening up the database of 60,000 songs and 4 billion playlists to users in Korea. Some of its services include a personalized curating service and the option to enjoy music while being active on other platforms like Instagram and Facebook as well as on devices like LG TV, Microsoft Xbox, and more.
Spotify’s music editor team also revealed unique playlists for Korea. The team continually updates their playlists based on their study of all the playlists created by their 320 million users. As mentioned, Spotify is a frontrunner in recommending music to users on a personalized basis. Some of these playlists include “Daily Mix,” a daily mix of one’s usual favorites and new music, “New Weekly Recommendations,” a playlist that reflects one’s usual music taste updated every Monday, and “Release Radar,” a playlist that recommends new music that might fit one’s preference that updates every Friday.
One thing to note is that music distributed by KakaoM will not be available on Spotify. As the distributing company houses four labels and artists such as IU, this is a great disadvantage to Spotify. KakaoM’s share of music distribution reached 37.5 percent as of last year.
How well Spotify secures music content is a key factor of its competitiveness in the domestic market. Therefore, it is expected that much attention will be paid to how well Spotify secures music contracts. Especially with relationships already established between KakaoM and Melon as well as CJ and Genie Music, it is unclear whether Spotify will be able to acquire music smoothly. In the case of Apple Music, it entered the Korean market in 2016 but failed to make an initial hit due to difficulties in securing domestic music and has shown a low market share ever since.
Park Sang Wook, the managing director of the Korea branch, stated, “We have been working together with artists, labels, and distributing companies to provide a quality of service that will satisfy domestic users and artists.” He also emphasized that efforts will be made to further Korea’s music industry.
Alex Norstrom, Spotify’s Chief Premium Business Officer, said, “We are very happy to announce the official launch that has been long awaited by Korea’s music fans and artists. We will help more Korean artists connect with fans not only in Korea but also around the world. We will work with other players in the industry to provide an excellent music experience for users in Korea.”
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — All outdoor and above-ground subway service was suspended starting at 2 p.m. Monday because of the massive winter storm.
MTA buses are still running, but suspensions are possible as are road closures.
Speed limits were also reduced on many major highways, and numerous spinouts and accidents were being reported.
A winter storm warning remains in effect until Tuesday for much of the Tri-State.
The vast majority of flights scheduled for today have been canceled. Travelers should contact their airlines directly to confirm flight status.
RELATED: State of emergency in New York City due to snow, schools move to all-remote learning
The last LIRR trains to and from Penn Station and Atlantic Terminal will leave between 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
The last Metro-North trains running to and from Grand Central will leave around 3 p.m.
These trains will reach their final destinations at around 5 p.m., with the exception of Metro-North’s Wassaic branch, which will reach its destination at 6 p.m.
Also starting at 3 p.m., all PATH service system-wide will be suspended.
Amtrak Northeast Regional is operating a limited schedule.
The Staten Island Ferry is operating on a modified schedule of every 20 minutes Monday morning
NYC Ferry service is suspended until further notice, and SeaStreak Ferry service is suspended Monday.
New York Waterway ferries also are suspended.
Alternate side street parking in the city is suspended through the rest of the week, but parking meter rules remain in effect.
MTA Bridges and Tunnels implemented an empty and tandem tractor-trailer ban beginning at 6 a.m. on Monday. Buses were being outfitted with tire chains and are running on a reduced schedule.
The upper level of the Verrazzano Bridge is closed, but officials expect it to reopen sometime later.
The MTA urges customers to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel during the storm.
“This is a serious winter storm with high snowfall levels predicted,” MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick J. Foye said. “MTA employees will be working hard over the next 48 hours and beyond to prepare for and respond to the storm. Even still, we strongly recommend New Yorkers stay home, stay safe and avoid unnecessary travel on Monday and Tuesday until the storm subsides.”
RELATED: Live Updates: NYC schools move to remote learning due to snow
MTA employees will be:
– Spreading salt and clearing surfaces of snow and ice – Keeping signals, switches, and third rail operating – Removing any downed trees that may fall across tracks – Attending to any weather-related challenges during the storm
New York City Subway and Staten Island Railway Outdoor, above-ground subway service will be suspended at 2 p.m. Monday. Officials said it will reopen as soon as it is safe to do so. Underground subway service will continue to operate.
There are nearly 220 miles of outdoor track throughout the boroughs. The Rockaway, Sea Beach, Flushing, Brighton, and Dyre Av lines are particularly vulnerable to snow and freezing precipitation. To prevent subway trains from being blocked in yards, they will be moved and stored underground in anticipation of heavy snow or ice. This will impact service on lines with express service.
New York City Transit has a fleet of snow and ice-fighting trains designed to keep outdoor tracks, switches, and third rails clear of snow and ice. High-powered snow throwers, jet-powered snow-blowers, and de-icing cars – retired subway cars modified with tanks and other specialized equipment to spray de-icing fluid on the third rail – are ready for immediate deployment.
New York City Buses MTA buses are still running, but suspensions are possible as are road closures. All local buses will be fitted with tire chains. Sixty-foot articulated buses will be replaced with 40-foot standard buses starting Sunday night.
New York City Transit and the MTA Bus Company have 35 snow-fighting vehicles in their fleet, which operate on predetermined routes to quickly reach terminals, lay-over locations, and other highly trafficked areas and known hotspots.
Bus managers have technology that tracks service when it falls below minimum expected levels on any route, allowing them to make decisions more quickly. Bus service will be adjusted based on road conditions around the city and service curtailments on a route-by-route basis are possible.
MTA New York City Transit’s Department of Buses and the MTA Bus Company have the following equipment and supplies on hand to fight the storm:
– More than 800,000 gallons of diesel fuel – More than 338,000 pounds of de-icing material
MTA Bridges and Tunnels MTA Bridges and Tunnels personnel have activated full inclement weather preparedness for all facilities. Staffing will be maintained at the level necessary to fight the storm with up to 300 employees engaged in weather-related activities.
Due to expected high wind conditions, a ban on empty tractor-trailers and tandem trucks will be in effect on all MTA bridges starting at 6 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 1. Bridges and Tunnels will be closely monitoring the weather and implement additional appropriate restrictions as needed.
Fleet Operations garages will be activated throughout the storm to maintain the availability of all storm-fighting equipment and material including:
Bridges are equipped with embedded roadway sensors for temperature and above-ground atmospheric sensors that deliver real-time information on wind velocity, wind direction, humidity, and precipitation via wireless communication. These sensors record data used to determine if speed restrictions are necessary.
Flooding conditions will be closely monitored and appropriate mitigation measures will be put into place as needed. All non-critical roadwork will be suspended during the storm with contractors on-site and/or available to assist with weather-related response and mitigation.
New Jersey Transit New Jersey Transit will temporarily suspend all service Monday, except the Atlantic City Rail Line, which will operate on a regular weekday schedule.
Port Authority buses
Due to the impending snowstorm, all bus service in and out of the Port Authority Bus Terminal will be suspended Monday, February 1. Please check with your carrier for specific information and resumption of service.
Commuter Railroads The Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad are amending service plans in advance of the storm and may amend them further depending on storm conditions. Snow-fighting equipment is winterized, tested, and positioned strategically throughout both railroads. Protective heat circuits are being verified to be operational, air brake lines are being purged of any moisture to prevent them from freezing, and electric trains are being fitted with special third rail shoes to prevent snow from accumulating.
Metro-North Railroad The last Metro-North trains running to and from Grand Central will leave around 3 p.m. Monday. To view final train departures at individual stations customers should visit mta.info or use the Metro-North Train Time or MYmta apps.
Metro-North is closely monitoring conditions and may further modify or suspend service if the snowfall is heavy. In ice storms, blizzards, or sustained winds over 39 mph, train service may be severely curtailed or suspended, especially if there are frozen switches, downed trees, or a loss of third rail or overhead catenary power.
Metro-North Railroad installed third rail snowshoes on its electric trains to scrape ice off of exposed third rails, is shrouding exposed train couplers with snow covers to keep snow out, is treating exposed shoes with deicer, and is spraying door panels with an anti-freeze agent.
Metro-North Railroad has snow-fighting equipment ready to go, strategically located at facilities around the system.
Switches – the interlocking tracks that allow rail traffic controllers to route trains from one track to another – are being treated with an anti-freeze agent and lubricated. Metro-North Railroad uses electric switch heaters.
Long Island Rail Road The last LIRR trains to and from Penn Station and Atlantic Terminal will leave between 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday. Due to the extreme cold currently hitting the service territory, LIRR station waiting rooms will remain open through Wednesday, Feb. 3.
The LIRR is closely monitoring weather forecasts as the upcoming storm nears its service area and may further modify or suspend service if the snowfall is heavy. In ice storms, blizzards, or sustained winds over 39 mph, train service may be severely curtailed or suspended, especially if there are frozen switches or there is a loss of third rail power.
The LIRR reminds customers to travel only if necessary on Monday and Tuesday. Railroad crews will be out across the service territory working to keep trains moving for those who need them. Those who must travel are urged to be cautious on station staircases/platforms and when boarding/exiting trains. Customers who are planning to travel are encouraged to check the LIRR TrainTime app, MyMTA app, or new.mta.info, for the latest service information.
Access-A-Ride Access-A-Ride paratransit service will continue to provide service, with vehicles using tire chains and all-weather tires, although shared trips and feeder service will be suspended during the storm. Reservations are being accepted on a 24-hour booking cycle instead of the usual 48-hour booking cycle. Customers may experience additional travel and wait times. Customers may want to reconsider travel, unless medically necessary. The Paratransit Command Center will be monitoring the storm to track and respond to immobilized vehicles and customers.
New York City Transit has coordinated a procedure with New York City first-responders and the NYC Office of Emergency Management for rescuing customers on immobilized vehicles or those who develop medical needs during storms.
NY Waterway Ferry Service All NY Waterway ferry service will be suspended on Monday, February 1 due to severe winter weather. NY Waterway will issue updates on Tuesday’s service as the storm develops.
Tri-State air travel update LaGuardia Airport, John F. Kennedy Airport, and Newark Liberty Airport are reporting approximately 90% of their flights on Monday have been canceled. Travelers are urged to contact their airlines directly to confirm flight status.
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