Mayor de Blasio #LinkNYC Public Launch Today
Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
Today (Feb.18/16) at noon, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio will announce the public launch of LinkNYC with members from CityBridge, the group of partner companies responsible for the design, development, building and deployment the the LinkNYC system.
LinkNYC will turn on its ‘tablet’ capabilities for the very first time – including free phone calls to anywhere in the US, free web browsing, access to 311, and Google Maps – launching full functionality to the public. Additional apps and services will be rolled out on an ongoing basis.
The event will take place at the northwest corner of 16th Street and 3rd Avenue.
LinkNYC is a first-of-its-kind communications network that’s replacing New York City’s payphones with free, super-fast Internet hotspots at no cost to taxpayers. Each Link will provide secure, private, and free Wi-Fi, and two free USB charging ports to charge devices. Free phone calls to anywhere in the US, City services, maps, and directions will be accessible using the new Link tablets. At least 510 Links will be installed across the five boroughs by July, 2016, and at least 7,500 will be installed over the next eight years. A minimum of 16 are currently installed and operational in Manhattan, but when all are deployed, they will be located in all five NY boroughs.
CityBridge companies are comprised of experts in technology, user experience, connectivity, and advertising that includes Intersection, Qualcomm, and CIVIQ Smartscapes. The project is being managed by the NYC Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, the City’s lead technology agency.
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