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New York City Park Wi-Fi Fizzles

Posted by: Nate Berg

9 January 2009 - 11:00am

Plans to install free Wi-Fi internet in New York City parks has fallen through. Unable to find corporate sponsors, the private contractor leading the project has been forced to remove all equipment. But the idea may not be completely dead.

"The networks were quietly shut down in October and Wi-Fi Salon is removing the equipment from the park locations, which include seven hot spots in Central Park, two in Prospect Park, and others at Washington Square, Battery, Riverside, Van Cortlandt, Pelham Bay and Flushing Meadows-Corona Parks, as well as Orchard Beach. This does not affect the privately provided free Wi-Fi at Bryant Park and other locations."

"The collapse of the deal was reported Monday by Wi-Fi Net News and picked up today by the NYC Wireless blog and Crain’s New York Business. The parks department confirmed that the city terminated the contract in anticipation of a new plan to offer high-speed wireless at locations across the city, including the parks."

"The setback does not mean the Bloomberg administration has given up on offering Internet access."

"'The city will soon unveil a series of digital inclusion initiatives focused on expanding access to, and adoption of, broadband technology, including service in parks across the city,' said Jama Adams, a spokeswoman for the parks department."

Full Story: Deal Collapses for Free Wi-Fi in Parks
Source: The New York Times, January 8, 2009
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The areas where we have severe blight and indications of more blight to come are basically the same as they ever were. How in the world are we ever going to move our community development selves into an alternative future that thinks differently about the challenges we face in our cities and low-income suburban and rural communities?
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