Google Inc. (GOOG) is among several
technology companies considering a plan that uses pay-phone
locations to give New Yorkers free wireless Internet access.
The Mountain View, California-based company was among more
than 50 attendees at an informational meeting in May for the
project, according to a request for proposals from the city’s
Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications.
Cisco Systems Inc., International Business Machines Corp. and
Samsung Electronics Co. also attended. Bids for the proposal are
due today.
The No. 1 search provider is stepping up efforts to provide
digital access in the U.S. and around the world as it seeks to
get more consumers on the Internet, benefiting its own user and
ad services. The company, which is working toward rolling out
broadband services in several U.S. cities, already provides
wireless access in Mountain View and New York’s Chelsea
neighborhood, where it has an office.
Kelly Mason, a spokeswoman for Google, declined to comment.
The project calls for new designs to replace pay phones,
providing “advertising, Wi-Fi and phone services” in all five
boroughs. While the companies can charge for phone service,
except for 911 and 311 calls, they can’t charge a fee for
Internet access, a document said. There are more than 7,300 pay
phones in the city.
“The widespread adoption of mobile devices reduces the
overall need for public telephones, yet not everyone owns a
mobile phone, and not everyone who owns one has connectivity at
all times,” a document on the city’s website said regarding the
project. The Wi-Fi hot spots will need to work together,
enabling users to log in once and stay connected.
The project began in 2012 under then-Mayor Michael
Bloomberg and is set to be expanded by Mayor Bill de Blasio. The
former mayor is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg News
parent Bloomberg LP.
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