New Yoprk City will soon be phasing out its payphones in exchange for superfast wireless internet access, CNET reports.
New York City officials announced Monday that a $200-million project (called LinkNYC) to develop a wireless internet network across the city is in the works, replacing the thousands of payphones scattered all over New York with wi-fi hotspots that can provide high-speed internet access of up to 1 gigabit per second.
"By replacing the aging network of public pay telephones with state-of-the-art connection points called "Links," the City aims to transform the physical streetscape-and New Yorkers' access to information-while also creating new local jobs for the development, servicing and maintenance of the structures," said the mayor's office.
"This administration has been committed to expanding affordable access to broadband for all New Yorkers from the outset. It's essential for everything we need to do to be a fair and just city, because we can't continue to have a digital divide that holds back so many of our citizens," said NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The bid to develop this project was won by a consortium called CityBridge, which designed the network that allows New Yorkers to access free high-speed internet 24/7, plus free phone calls to any location within the United States, and a touchscreen tablet to allow users to access city services, according to ZDNet.
Each wi-fi hub that replaces a payphone booth will be encased in aluminum and be equipped to provide a wireless internet signal of up to a 150-foot radius. The booths will also digitally display public service announcements and advertising content. Around 10,000 "links" are expected to be built across the boroughs.
When fully developed, the 1-gigabit wireless internet speed expected from the LinkNYC network will be 100 times faster than the average speeds from other municipalities, and at least 20 times faster than the average home connections in the city, according to Tech Crunch.
Construction of the LinkNYC booths will commence in 2015 pending approval by the city's Franchise and Concession Review Committee (FCRC).
