Back in November 2014, New York City announced plans to replace pay phones with gigabit WiFi hotspots in 2015. Well, the year’s almost up, and today the installation began. The Verge caught a look at the process as the so-called LinkNYC access points began going up. Once the kiosks are up and running, you can expect to connect to WiFi within about 150 feet. However, you may have to wait a bit to give it a go, as a test phase is expected to follow once the equipment is in place.
In total, LinkNYC will replace 7,500 pay phones with the WiFi access points in the city. Each of the kiosks will also offer USB ports for charging up a device, touchscreen web access and a pair of displays for advertising. The Verge reports that some of those features, like the built-in tablet for web access, maps and more, may arrive after the WiFi connectivity itself goes live. At any rate, New Yorkers who have been waiting to connect to the free service should be able to do so soon.
Source: The Verge