New York transforms its phone booths into free Wi-Fi spots

New York City has begun rolling out free Wi-Fi hotspots in ten phone booths in Manhattan boroughs, Queens y Brooklyn. If the initiative is successful, This service will be expanded to the rest of the cabins in the Big Apple, 12.360 in total.

The New York City government has decided to find a new use for the 12.360 city ​​telephone booths, which are practically only used by Superman to put on his fatigues. The New York City Council's plan would be to update them to convert them into free Wi-Fi access points. Another proposal is to convert some into digital kiosks with SmartScreens, that will offer information about the neighborhood, restaurants and places to visit.

At the moment they are only 10 telephone booths which have been transformed into free Wi-Fi points. This initiative aims to study the feasibility of installing a wireless Internet access network in the Big Apple.. “As we decide what to do in the future with public booths, "This program serves as an indicator of the interest in the services that can be offered for the new generation devices that are being manufactured.", Rahul N explained. Merchant, responsible for the city's Department of New Technologies and Telecommunications, in statements reported by The New York Times.

The booths with the first access points were activated with Wi-Fi routers connected to the top of the phone booth. The signal from each of the Wi-Fi points has a range of between 30 y 60 meters and access is not subject to any type of password. The installation of the network has not cost the city anything, because the companies that place advertising in the booths have borne all the expenses.

Six of the test booths are located in Manhattan, two others in Brooklyn and two others in Queens, and it is planned to launch others in the Bronx and Staten Island soon. The city has worked with two companies, Van Wagner Communications y Titan, to deploy Wi-Fi hotspots and provide booth announcements.

At the moment they are 13 the companies that are in charge of the cabins, whose contract expires in 2014. Its future is not yet decided and this pilot program of Wi-Fi points could become the new function of the cabins. Nevertheless, The city has publicly asked citizens and businesses to send them their suggestions on other potential uses to which they could be put..