New York City has plans to convert 10,000 pay phones and turn them into Wi-Fi kiosks

New York City is rumored to be doing away with 10,000 pay phones still standing in the city. In their place, the city will build Wi-Fi kiosks pushing out internet signals at 1000 Mbps. In addition to offering an internet connection, the kiosks would offer free domestic calls, and free calls to 9-1-1 emergency services. Charging stations would also be built into the kiosks, giving power users a place to recharge their mobile devices while on the run.

The program, called LinkNYC, is expected to generate $500 million for the city over the first 12 years of operation. The kiosks will also bring new jobs to New York City. It is believed that 100 to 150 full-time jobs will be created, along with 650 support jobs. Each kiosk will connect devices as far away as 150 feet, and provide speeds as fast as 20 times that of home internet service. Up to 250 devices will be able to access Wi-Fi at each kiosk without affecting the quality of the signal.

While the project is expected to cost $200 million to build, it won't cost taxpayers one red cent as display advertisements are expected to bring in enough funds to cover the initial roll out of the kiosks. 


source: NYTimes via Time, Forbes