Google Aiming at Making Wi-Fi Hotspots out of Old NYC Payphones

Bloomberg reports that a meeting in New York providing information to companies interested in offering free Wi-Fi has counted Google as one of the attendees, aside from IBM, Samsung and Cisco. However, Google is known for its ambition to offer free or affordable internet connectivity, which indicates that the corporate giant is planning to submit a big proposal to the New York department of IT.

While Google already offers free Wi-Fi around its office in Chelsea neighborhood, the company also has a number of initiatives to bring cheaper and abundant internet connectivity to the US and abroad. People asking why is Google so anxious to bring this feature to the public all over the world should ask themselves what (most) of them are using as a start page on their browser, the developer of their browser or the actual search engine used to find all their information. And yes, the answer to all questions is Google.

The plan Google has for NYC is to enable its payphone locations with Wi-Fi hotspots charged by phone services, and not ISPs, while also incorporating advertisements for actually making it ‘free’. The company has requested the plan be in effect on all 7,300 payphones, meaning that NYC will become a city covered in free Wi-Fi connectivity after the plan is approved and work is finished. Another interesting and beneficial feature mentioned is the ability to connect to every other Wi-Fi hotspot automatically once you authorized access to the Wi-Fi network.

The project would mean a new level of connectivity that does not depend on cellular data subscriptions for new yorkers, providing the project goes through. Even so, it still is a big step forward towards a new type of wide connectivity than just a few wireless routers placed in key, remote locations.

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