Wi-Fi: Comcast enters beta in NJ, while BART leaves beta in CA

With the as yet unannounced test of Wi-Fi at 100 commuter rail stations in New Jersey, Comcast follows Cablevision's lead into testing Wi-Fi among commuters in areas adjacent to New York City.

A spokesperson for Comcast today acknowledged that the company is in "early, early beta" with a Wi-Fi test at rail stations in New Jersey, while San Francisco's BART announced plans to expand its own recent trial into a full commercial rollout.

Mary Nell Westbrook, a Comcast spokesperson, told Betanews today that the test in New Jersey -- which offers free Wi-Fi access -- is still at a "very technical" stage, and that Comcast has made no plans for a larger deployment. "It is a limited geographical trial," she elaborated. Westbrook declined to identify Comcast's partners in the technology trial.

For its part, Cablevision is focusing its free Wi-Fi on New York City bedroom communities in Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island.

The announcement today by San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) comes after a limited trial of free Wi-Fi among more than 15,000 consumers in northern California.

To be offered through a deal with Wi-Fi Rail Inc., BART's Wi-Fi plan will differ from most other commuter wireless programs in that fiberoptic equipment will be used in place of a cell phone or satellite infrastructure. Services are expected to be up and running throughout 43 BART stations and 104 miles of track by 2011. Ultimately, BART will reportedly charge consumers fees of $6 for two hours of use, $30 per month, or $300 per year.

Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) has been offering free Wi-Fi to users of both its commuter train and boat services. Wi-Fi services are being deployed among commuter transmit facilities following the failure of many municipal Wi-Fi efforts.