LinkNYC
| LinkNYC logo | |
| File:3d Av 16 St LinkNYC station jeh.JPG
Third Avenue, Manhattan
|
|
| Founded | 2014 |
|---|---|
|
Area served
|
New York City |
| Brands | LinkNYC |
| Services | Wireless communication |
| Owner | CityBridge consortium: Intersection Qualcomm CIVIQ Smartscapes |
| Website | link |
LinkNYC is an infrastructure project designed to create a network to cover New York City with free Wi-Fi service.[1] The plan was announced by the mayor's office on November 17, 2014.[2] The project brings free, encrypted, gigabit wireless internet coverage to the five boroughs by converting old payphones into hotspot points. Deployment was originally scheduled to start by late 2015,[3] but the first kiosks were deployed in January 2016.[4] LinkNYC is intended to be the largest and fastest public wifi network in the world.[5]
History
On April 30, 2014, the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications requested proposals for how to go about converting the city's over 7,000 dated payphones into a citywide Wi-Fi network. A previous competition sought ideas to "reinvent" the payphones and 125 responses suggested a Wi-Fi network, but none came with plans for how that would be accomplished. A new competition was held and the winner stood to receive a contract to maintain up to 10,000 communication points.[6]
The bid was awarded to the consortium CityBridge, which consists of Qualcomm, Titan, Control Group, and Comark.[7] In June 2015, Control Group and Titan announced their merger into one company, known as Intersection, and acquisition by a consortium of investors led by Sidewalk Labs, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. that focuses on solving problems unique to urban environments.[8][9][10] Daniel L. Doctoroff, the former CEO of Bloomberg L.P. and former New York City Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding, is the CEO of Sidewalk Labs.[11]
Kiosks
The kiosks, also called Links, are 9.5 feet (2.9m) tall, and are ADA compliant.[12] Each is equipped with a gigabit speed, encrypted Wi-Fi connection with a 150-foot (50m) range. The kiosks include USB charging stations and free calling, through a partnership with Vonage. An integrated touchscreen offers maps and info about city services, and a digital display shows advertising and public service announcements. The Wi-Fi technology comes from Ruckus Wireless and is enabled by Qualcomm's Vive 802.11ac Wave 2 4x4 chipsets.[4]
Network
CityBridge announced that it would be setting up about 7,000 access points, called "Links". Coverage was set to be up by late 2015, starting with about 500 Links in areas that already have payphones, and later to other areas.[3]
The consortium stated in its press release that the network would be free, and funded by advertisement.[7] Links will be iconic connection points, designed by Antenna, that will have free phone calls to all 50 states in the USA, an Android tablet to access city maps, directions, and services, and free charging stations for smartphones. The announced specifications include a 150-foot (46 m) radius Wi-Fi coverage, encrypted public access, gigabit speed, and a display for advertisement.[3]
CityBridge emphasized that it takes security and privacy seriously, and created a "forward-thinking policy", but didn't publish it, nor the encryption specs or technology.[7] There will be two types of networks, a private network available to iOS devices, and a public network available to all devices.[13]
On December 10, 2014, the network was approved by the city's Franchise and Concession Review Committee.[14] Installation of a station at 3rd Avenue and 15th Street began on December 28, 2015.[15] By mid-July 2016, the planned roll-out of 500 hubs throughout New York City should occur.[16]
The Links feature a red 911 call button, two USB inputs that will work for powering devices only (no data transferring via USB),[17] and individual tablets. Vonage provides free domestic phone call service, with the ability to make international calls using calling cards.[11]
See also
References
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