FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

WASHINGTONp

October 20, 2015

Mike O'RiellyCommissioner

Ms. Therese McMillanActing AdministratorFederal Transit AdministrationU.S. Department of Transportation1200 New Jersey Avenue, SEWashington, DC 20590

Dear Acting Administrator McMillan:

The Federal Transit Administration's ("FTA") recently-asserted safety oversight responsibilityfor Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority's ("WMATA") transit railoperations ("DC Metro") provides an opportunity to reverse flawed decisions and reenergizeefforts to deploy commercial wireless infrastructure within the system. Respectfully, I imploreyou to consider that passengers and workers using their own wireless devices throughout thetunnels and stations to convey critical real-time information in emergency situations are the firstline of safety. Quite simply, when DC Metro riders - often the first to see a problem developing- try to notify first responders, they frequently are unable to receive a signal strong enough tomake a simple call to 9-1-1 to report the emergency. To fully utilize such an importantnotification capability, America's wireless providers need greater cooperation from WMATA toupdate the DC Metro system for modem wireless communications.

Given its involvement and activities, I am sure FTA is familiar with past tragic events and safetyexposure points prevalent in the DC Metro system. These include the January 2015 majorincident on the Yellow Line tunnel between L'Enfant Plaza and the Pentagon; the May 2015delays on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines due to smoke in the tunnel between Rosslyn andFoggy Bottom; and the June 2015 incident of smoke in the Red Line tunnel between theBethesda and Medical Center stations. In addition, an attempted infant abduction occurred inSeptember 2015 between the Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom stations. Upon inspection, theseincidents illustrate that lives are put in danger by the inability of DC Metro's everydaypassengers, visiting tourists and workers to use wireless devices to reach emergency personnel.

While the Federal Communications Commission has no immediate authority over WIVIATA, ourrecent work on 9-1-1 and emergency communications has reaffirmed the fundamental principlethat consumers benefit most when America's communications networks are fully deployed andoperational. We have also seen that emergency communications systems are susceptible tobreakdown or failure unless all components, including the public's ability to report events, arefunctioning properly. In essence, our work to facilitate a responsive emergency communicationsnetwork relies, in part, on others, especially public safety and other government officials,coordinating to address all points of system weakness. Having effective commercial wirelessnetworks within DC Metro would, at a minimum, alleviate a glaring safety problem within thesystem, while assisting the Commission's work to promote reliable emergency communications.

445 12TH STREET SW WASHINGTON, DC 20554 • 202-418-2300

October 20, 2015Page 2

It is my understanding that WMATA is in contract negotiations with wireless providers to permitand deploy ubiquitous, modem wireless communications within the DC Metro system, includingits tunnels. While this is generally good news, reports indicate that the agreement may include aprovision whereby WMATA employees would perform the necessary upgrades to the DC Metrosystem, such as the actual fitting, mounting, set up and connection of wireless facilities. If this isthe case, extreme diligence will be required by FTA to ensure that the necessary work isperformed by WMATA and completed as required. Moreover, the troubling timeline for theentire project - reportedly scheduled to take until 2020 - should inspire FTA to examine ways toexpedite the work. In sum, FTA should establish milestones and associated deadlines to ensureWMATA's work is conducted successfully and as quickly as possible.

I thank you in advance for your effort to improve wireless communications for passengers andworkers within DC Metro. Please do not hesitate to contact me if! can be of assistance on thisimportant matter.

Sincerely,

Michael O'RiellyCommissioner