[URBAN NOTE] "Public Works: Replacing Phone Booths With Wi-Fi Kiosks"

[rfmcdonald]

Torontoist's Peter Goffin notes New York City's creation of pujblic WiFI kiosks to take the place of payphones.

In New York, they’ve found a way to address both the phone booth’s obsolescence and the continued public need to connect and communicate cheaply and conveniently.

The City is working with tech conglomerate CityBridge to create LinkNYC, a public network that will replace payphones all over Gotham.

Special kiosks, called Links, will eventually take the place of 7,500 phone booths. Each Link will offer free wi-fi, mobile device chargers, and a tablet for anyone to use. Oh and you’ll also be able to make phone calls at these street-side booths, like it’s 1956. And all the Links’ services are totally free.

Each location Links will have a pair of 55-inch HD screens for broadcasting public service announcements and advertising. Ads are expected not only to cover the cost of LinkNYC, but to raise over $500 million USD in revenue for the City.

And for anyone (rightly) concerned about data collection and privacy, the City has said LinkNYC uses encrypted connections between your device and the internet. The kiosks will collect only anonymous data to track usage and serve advertising. And, refreshingly, the City has pledged not to sell or share personal data with third parties.