New York City to turn payphone kiosks into free Wi-Fi hotspots
New York (dpa) - New York City plans to build thousands of free Wi-Fi hotspots, replacing old-fashioned public payphones and phone booths that have largely become dormant, officials said.
"New Yorkers and visitors will be able connect, absolutely free-of-charge, using their smartphones, tablets and other WiFi-enabled devices," the city's department of Information Technology and Telecommunication said at its website.
The new stations, which are expected to start popping up around the city early next year, also will provide free domestic calling, charging options for mobile devices and access to city services and directions.
Each station's gigabit Wi-Fi connection - expected to be more than 20times as fast as average home internet service in the city – will extend over 45 metres in any direction, according to The New York Times.
Up to 250 devices will be able to use the network at each kiosk without any access interruption, while more access points will be added in busy areas, it said.
The project to install around 10,000 new kiosks estimated to cost the city 200 million dollars, while it is expected to generate around 500 million dollars in digital advertisements over the next 12 years.
Unlike the current phone booths, the new kiosks will be built in tall and slender shapes and won't be enclosed so that people can use them to shelter from the rain.
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