Several LinkNYC kiosks have been installed in western Queens, and Sunnyside residents now have access to free Wi-Fi and charging ports.
One kiosk was installed on 46th Street and Queens Boulevard, according to a tweet by the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District. Other locations include 35th Street, 34th Street, 33rd Street and 60th Street in neighboring Woodside.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his plan in February to create the “largest and fastest free municipal Wi-Fi network in the world.”
Old payphones across the city will be transformed into these kiosks, which provide a secure and private Wi-Fi network within a 150-foot radius, free domestic calling, two USB ports, a tablet for accessing the internet, and a red 911 button to contact emergency services.
The first @LinkNYC kiosk has been installed in Sunnyside. We're excited to use the free wifi across the street in Bliss Plaza! pic.twitter.com/E9NqkYR7sz
— Sunnyside Shines (@SunnysideShines) November 8, 2016
At least 7,500 and up to 10,000 kiosks will be installed around the city. A handful of kiosks are up and running in Forest Hills, Kew Gardens and Jamaica, and the city has installed several more in Rego Park and Elmhurst. The final installations will be complete by mid-2019.
In 2014, De Blasio selected CityBridge – a group of companies that includes Intersection, Qualcomm, and CIVIQ Smartscapes – to develop and operate the first-of-its-kind LinkNYC network. The project is funded entirely through advertising revenue and is expected to create new local jobs and generate more than $500 million in revenue for the city.
For a full list of kiosks, visit the LinkNYC website.
