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NYC's First Free Wi-Fi Kiosk Now Exists In The East Village
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Dec 28, 2015
Modified Dec 29, 2015
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Dec 28, 2015
Modified Dec 29, 2015
Share
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New York City's first free public Wi-Fi hub was installed this morning, but as is the case with any internet installation, anywhere in the United States, there is a catch: it doesn't work yet.
According to a rep from the Department of Information Technology & Telecommunications, the shiny new LinkNYC kiosk on 3rd Avenue near 15th Street in Manhattan is still in its testing phase. The Wi-Fi's Hotspot 2.0 signal strength—which will have a range of 150 feet and is supposed to be as fast as Google Fiber—is being assessed.
The city has pledged to build 7,500 of the hubs in place of old pay phone booths over the next 8 years, with 4,500 of them coming in the next four years, 499 of which will be installed over the next 6 months. Expect to see a few more pop up on 3rd Avenue in the next few weeks.
Advertising on the screens is expected to generate $500 million in revenue over a 12 year period. In addition to gigabit speeds, the kiosks will have free USB chargers, a touchscreen with internet access, and will enable "Free phone calls to anywhere in the U.S.," according to DoITT's website. Take a gander at them now, before they're smeared in hair and feces.
Tagged
free internet
linknyc
not today Time Warner
public wi-fi
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Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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