Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Four Free High-Speed Public Wi-Fi Hotspots Activated on LES

By John Santore | January 19, 2016 7:43pm
 CityBridge rolled out four free public Wi-Fi kiosks in the Lower East Side Tuesday.
CityBridge rolled out four free public Wi-Fi kiosks in the Lower East Side Tuesday.
View Full Caption
DNAInfo/Noah Hurowitz

LOWER EAST SIDE — Free high-speed Wi-Fi came to a stretch of Third Avenue Tuesday, as the city powered up four free public hotspots between 15th Street and 18th Street.

The hotspots are part of the LinkNYC project, which will replace former phone booths with 510 hotspot kiosks across the city by July, with a total of 7,500 in operation by 2023.

Each kiosk, administered by CityBridge LLC, will provide free high-speed Internet within a 150-foot radius, as well as free domestic phone calls, phone charging and a tablet for basic Internet tasks.

A LinkNYC spokesman said the four kiosks activated Tuesday are currently providing just Wi-Fi and phone charging. Other functions will be rolled out as the system is tested over the coming weeks.

The spokesman confirmed that guests must provide an email address to log onto the system’s Wi-Fi, but said that addresses will only be used to inform users of system changes and conduct research on how links are being used. They will not be sold or shared.

The city says LinkNYC will be paid for by advertisements placed on the kiosks, which it expects to generate $500 million over their first 12 years in operation.