Can You Download Me Now? New York Payphones Become Wi-Fi Hot Spots

Operator, won't you help me replace this call?

A 9-foot-tall, narrow structure installed this past week on a Manhattan sidewalk is signaling a plan to turn payphones into what's billed as the world's biggest and fastest municipal Wi-Fi network.

The first of at least 7,500 planned hot spots are due to go online early next year, promising superfast and free Wi-Fi service, new street phones with free calling, ports to charge personal phones and a no-cost windfall for the city.

With some cities nationwide making renewed pushes for public Wi-Fi after an earlier wave of enthusiasm faded, New York officials say their project is democratizing data access while modernizing outmoded street phones.

For now, the first hot spot is still being tested and sits under a gray cover. But some passers-by like the sound of what's in store.

http://gadgets.ndtv.com/internet/ne...-york-payphones-become-wi-fi-hot-spots-784826

 

This would be definitely wonderful and beneficial for all the citizens. I believe with free public wi-fi like this, those big cut throat cell phone companies will be forced to lower their prices. I hope my city will have something like this soon.

 

This seems like one of those ideas that could benefit everyone but will most likely be ruined due to someone finding a security exploit and causing trouble for other people connected to the routers.

 

I'm sure they will find a way to prevent that, or at least make it harder for whoever tries doing that, plus there are many places where similar things are available and so far so good I'd not worry too much about it.

 

Well shit, I guess this really is future land time then, I may travel there just to use a payphone in the future

 

Same here! It's a rip off if you ask me! Those mobile companies are taking advantage of us, if only we could all get free wifi! We could make calls for me and even text for free.

 

Can you please try not to use that kind of language here? Or at least place a * in the right spot, we are trying to keep this forum friendly for people all ages. Thank you!

 

@Sefie I have been paying for data plan since they stopped making the non-smart phones. With a family of four, the price came to a hefty amount every month and I had to cut out the home phone. Eliminating the home phone was a great thing for me though since now I don't have to deal with telemarketers calling days and nights.

 

My mom is doing the same Sadly she has one of those old phones, so she can't take full advantage of er new plan. She will eliminate her landline and internet soon, leaving her only with the cable TV service. I personally think it's great, so my step-dads relatives stop bothering her. I'll not have landline either in the new house either =D

 

This is a stupid comment but. Does anyone else feel like this is the beginning of Skynet?