The 2 New Free Wi-Fi Phone Booths in Brooklyn

Yesterday the City announced their pilot program to add free public Wi-Fi to payphone "kiosks" (phone booths) in 10 locations throughout the city. Here are the two initial Brooklyn locations. Above, 2 Smith Street near the Lane Bryant in Downtown Brooklyn.

The second Brooklyn hotspot is not far from the first (about four blocks away) at 545 Albee Square across the street from CityPoint near GameStop. (For locations in other boroughs, see here.)

The wireless signal will extend from 100 - 200 feet from the booth. (A wireless router is installed on the top of the booth.) It will work with smart phones, laptops, tablets, and other Wi-Fi devices. No password is needed.

“One of the most frequent requests from New Yorkers is for more public WiFi in public spaces,” said Chief Digital Officer Rachel Sterne. She said that the city already provides free WiFi access in every library branch and more than 40 parks. 

Since both Brooklyn hotspots are in areas where cell phone thefts are not unknown, we suggest keeping tabs on your device while you surf.

According to the provider's (NetNearU Wireless) license, the company does not screen or restrict any access to the Internet.

Fun for techies: A hilariously outdated "What Is Wi-Fi" page at NetNearU's website appears to be lost in a time warp:

"Our hotspots are tested to support Microsoft® Windows® 2000 and XP and Macintosh® OS X operating systems. Our Hotspots are also optimized for browsers: Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 SP2 or higher and Netscape® Navigator® 4.7 or higher (Windows); Safari 1.0, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.1 or higher, and Netscape Navigator 4.7 or higher (Macintosh)."

Photos by Google Maps

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