LinkNYC's free gigabit WiFi officially launches, we go hands-on

This isn't directly outdoor advertising related but I think its worth knowing about regardless. LinkNYC is in the process of rapidly replacing NYC's phonebooths with thier own street furniture that will bring incredibly fast free wifi, amongst other things. Having spoken to the CTO, I know the motivation behind this infrastructure initiative is being done with NYC's best interest in mind and the benefits to the average citizen will be widespread. Thought like all public infrastructure these days, the funding to make this initiative viable will come from advertising. One can only hope that because the advertising will be piped in via a digital screen, some of that real estate will make it back into the hands of the public whose ever present gaze is what makes this revenue stream viable in the first place. 

VIA: Engadget

A month ago, we were hot on LinkNYC's free gigabit WiFi hotspots when they kicked off beta testing. Today, the organization is officially launching its payphone replacement hotspots (or Links, for short) --- and with that, it's turning on their integrated tablets for the first time. That means you'll be able to do a lot more than just tap into blazing fast WiFi from the Links. You can also browse the web, get directions with Google Maps, and make free VoIP calls to anywhere in America. After testing out one of the tablets briefly, I can say one thing for sure: New Yorkers won't miss their dirty old payphones at all. More [HERE]