LinkNYC Project to Replace Old New York City Payphones with Free Wi-Fi Kiosks

Residents of New York City already understand that Bill de Blasio is out to establish a different precedent than his predecessor. The mayor – who is fast-approaching his first-year anniversary as the Big Apple’s chief officer – here smartly looks to a near-fossilized technology to perpetuate the growth of the Big Apple. His latest initiative, LinkNYC, will seek to transform New York’s 6,400+ coin-operated payphones into kiosks generating free, strong wi-fi signals. The signals are intended to cover a 150 feet radius, which seems a generous amount of space given the proximity of each payphone stand (in Manhattan at least). Outer boroughs worry naught: the LinkNYC project is also intended for residents of Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx. Other services at the stations will include: 24/7 digital city directories, free phone calls anywhere in the United States, and mobile charging. In all, the proposal represents exciting news for a city striving to develop its identity as a tech hub. While LinkNYC is still pending approval, interested parties can learn more about the project here.