Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
We Tested NYC's New Fast Free Public Wi-Fi
By
Katie Whittaker
Published Feb 19, 2016
Modified Feb 19, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Michael Appleton / Mayoral Photography Office
By
Katie Whittaker
Published Feb 19, 2016
Modified Feb 19, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled the NYC's first fully functioning free public Wi-Fi LinkNYC kiosk at a press conference at 3rd Avenue and 16th Street yesterday.
The kiosks, known as Links, will replace pay phone booths around the city, and feature an Android touch screen that will allow people to place calls and surf the internet free of charge. De Blasio even tested the phone function himself, calling 311 and giving the crowd of reporters a thumbs-up after hanging up.
The gigabit speed Wi-Fi is supposed to be faster than what anyone can get at home. "No one on the earth is more concerned about time than the average New Yorker," the mayor added.
During the press conference I decided to test this amazingly fast internet. I connected to the LinkNYC wifi network, entered my email, and mentally prepared myself to download at least 30 minutes of porn for journalism.
But my experience was underwhelming. I waited about a minute for my email to update, and when I checked out Facebook and Instagram, I found myself comparing it to the Wi-Fi in my apartment. I left and came back to the same kiosk about 30 minutes later to try the Wi-Fi again. I waited about a minute for my email again, and when I tried to download a video from Dropbox, it never fully worked.
A spokesperson from CityBridge, the company building the Links, said that the issues likely stem from my phone. I was trying out the Link's Wi-Fi from an iPhone 4s, but the spokesperson said that it's really meant for the "devices of tomorrow," which will all have greater Wi-Fi capabilities, like an iPhone 6.
"As devices are getting faster and faster, people are going to experience faster and faster service," the spokesperson said.
This makes a lot of sense, but the Link's high speed Wi-Fi is supposed to be available to "average New Yorkers." While 79% of New York City residents own smartphones [PDF], only 41% of those that do have iPhones. Even the mayor showed off his flip phone at the press conference.
If you're lucky enough to own a laptop, the Link offered near-gigabit speeds. Download speeds were 240 mbps standing right next to the Link (the Starbucks next door caps theirs at 15mbps), and 117 mbps halfway up the block, though in a lobby two buildings down from the Link our speed test kept timing out.
More Links are being put online, and by the end of July, 500 Links will appear in all five boroughs; by mid-2019, there will be more than 4,500.
Additional reporting by Kellylouise Delaney.
Tagged
linknyc
public wifi
original
Katie Whittaker
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Queens man found dead, police say, and injured woman is his mother, neighbors say
Police are investigating a related incident in which a 62-year-old woman was found injured beneath the Van Wyck Expressway.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 14, 2026 at 7:39 p.m. ET
Man shot by ICE in NYC's Marble Hill said federal officers never identified themselves
The wounded man said he didn't learn ICE agents were involved until he woke up in the hospital.
By
Arya Sundaram
and
Samantha Max
News
Man shot by ICE in NYC's Marble Hill said federal officers never identified themselves
The wounded man said he didn't learn ICE agents were involved until he woke up in the hospital.
By
Arya Sundaram
and
Samantha Max
Brooklyn school dean says MTA officers assaulted him over a $3 bus fare he says he paid
By
Carol Chen
National Grid customers in NYC will see higher gas bills this winter
By
Rosemary Misdary
Bruce Blakeman joins Gov. Hochul in support for expanding NY rape law
By
Jon Campbell
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .