More Free Wi-Fi in NYC

Finding free Wi-Fi in NYC is about to get a little bit easier. Two weeks ago, Mayor Bloomberg unveiled a massive new initiative to bring free wireless broadband internet to select neighborhoods across all five boroughs in New York City. To help grow the city as a global technology hub, the Mayor also announced the launch of WiredNYC as a new rating platform that evaluates the broadband connectivity and infrastructure of office buildings. With the transparent measure, officials are hoping to speed up deployment of the latest high-speed broadband. Businesses will be able to see detailed data about a building’s available connectivity, and real estate landlords with the latest infrastructure will gain bragging rights when pitching their buildings to startups. In simplest terms, it’s sort of like a “LEED certification for broadband.”

These networks, set to launch in December, will be open to the public and have strategically been placed in booming commercial districts. Brooklyn will perhaps see the largest batch of new Wi-Fi hotspots along the Fulton Street corridor and in the BAM Cultural District, Brownsville, and Downtown Brooklyn. Manhattan, which already has Wi-Fi saturated parks, is also getting extensive additions in the Flatiron District, along the Water Street Corridor, as well as the East River waterfront in Lower Manhattan, the 125th Street corridor in Harlem, and on Roosevelt Island.

The other boroughs, meanwhile, are getting comparatively smaller additions. Long Island City in Queens will be getting free Wi-Fi as well as the St. George commercial district in Staten Island and Fordham Road in the Bronx. With these new additions and New York’s already bountifully extended network services, the Mayor says that the city has already earned a platinum Wired Certification rating from WiredNYC.