The MTA disabled free Wi-Fi service on its buses this month, citing low usage.
Free internet access was cut on January 14, officials said. Wi-Fi was available on 4,266 MTA buses, or about 75% of the agency’s fleet.
Transit officials said only 33,000 people use Wi-Fi on buses on an average day. This represents about 2% of the 1.4 million bus passengers the agency registers each weekday.
MTA officials estimated that reducing Wi-Fi service on buses would save the agency $3.3 million each year.
The MTA rolled out internet access on buses in 2016 as part of a city bus fleet update.
Transit officials have focused in recent months on adding mobile phone service to all tunnels and metro stations in the city.
In July, the MTA moved forward with a plan to bring wireless phone and data coverage to the entire subway system over the next decade, with a third-party operator bearing the estimated $600 million cost. project dollars.