If you have ever ridden a subway in New York City, you probably wished at some point or another that you could send a text message, or maybe make a call while either waiting for your train or traveling to your destination.

Well, those dreams may soon become a reality as Transit Wireless and Sprint have signed a deal that will provide Sprint's (News - Alert) wireless voice and data services to all 277 underground subway stations.

The deal will begin enabling Sprint, Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile customers access to the wireless network early next year.

Sprint will start to install its equipment within Transit Wireless' secure Base Station Hotel facilities to implement its 3G and 4G LTE (News - Alert) service throughout the 36 stations that are already online. These stations include those that wired this past April, such as Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Lincoln Center and Columbus Circle, as well as six that were wired back in September 2011 in Chelsea.

The company will also be working on wiring 40 additional stations in mid-town Manhattan, including Grand Central Station and 34th Street Herald Square, and stations in Queens.

Thomas F. Prendergast, chairman and CEO of the MTA, said that bringing wireless capabilities to the New York City subway system is a "big step forward" for MTA customers, according to a press release. He said that it will not only enhance safety and security, but ultimately improve the traveling experience for consumers as they will be able to make and receive phone calls at their convenience rather than waiting until they exit the subway station onto the street.

Ordinary everyday consumers will be just one group of individuals that will benefit from this wireless deal.

"As we build out our new network, adding the vast underground New York City subway system brings a whole new level of connectivity to our customers, whether they're consumers, public safety representatives, first responders or city workers," Sprint's vice president of engineering, Greg O'Connor, said in a statement. "We look forward to providing an enjoyable connected experience for the 1.65 billion visitors and straphangers who ride the NYC subway annually."