Sorry, Superman—changing is about to get a little harder for you.
New York City is converting its 6,400 pay phones into wifi hotspots, in a move sure to delight residents and dismay Starbucks everywhere.
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The spots will also provide free calls within the U.S., phone chargers, and touch screens with directions around the city.
Mayor Bill De Blasio is calling the proposal a move toward “a fair and just city.” His administration argues that low-income people are unjustly disadvantaged by their lack of access to the internet.
The hotspots will supposedly be even faster than home internet service, by as much as 20 times, and will reach 150 feet around, according to the New York Times.
De Blasio will fund the $200,000 million project with ads displayed on the kiosks, and has promised not to spend taxpayer dollars on it.
Some are already concerned about privacy issues with the system. The city won’t be giving advertisers direct user information, but could give them anonymous “aggregate data.” Law enforcement could also procure information from users.
De Blasio has commissioned a consortium called CityBridge to work on the project, to be known as LinkNYC.
Not all the vintage pay phones will get the axe. The city will preserve three of the traditional-style pay phones on West End Avenue.
Read more here.
