LinkNYC Brings New York’s Fastest Free Wi-Fi to Bed-Stuy and Brooklyn

From Link NYC:

CityBridge partners, the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams announced today LinkNYC’s launch in Brooklyn with the activation of two Link Wi-Fi kiosks on Fulton St. in Bed-Stuy. Nearly a dozen Links have already been installed across the borough, with more activations planned in the coming weeks. LinkNYC is the new, first-of-its-kind communications network replacing the city’s payphones with Wi-Fi kiosks, creating the largest and fastest free public Wi-Fi network in the world.

CityBridge also announced today the installation of the first Link kiosk on Staten Island. Since Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the public launch of LinkNYC in February, more than 500 Links have been installed across all five boroughs. Each Link provides New Yorkers with free, fast Wi-Fi, free domestic calling, two USB charging ports, and direct access to 911 and 311. More than 700,000 people have signed up to use the free Wi-Fi, which is already used nearly 3 million times per week.

"Working in partnership with the de Blasio administration and my fellow borough presidents, we have expanded LinkNYC in a fashion that is meaningfully helping to close the digital divide in all five boroughs. I look forward to Brooklynites benefiting from use of Wi-Fi kiosks in Bedford-Stuyvesant and across our borough," said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

“LinkNYC has landed in Brooklyn, and we’re excited for Brooklynites and visitors alike who can now take advantage of all the free services it provides – superfast Wi-Fi, USB charging, City and emergency services, and phone calls. I look forward to seeing even more Links bringing ultrafast internet to our city’s streets as we continue the roll-out in Brooklyn and across all five boroughs," said Anne Roest, Commissioner of the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications.

“We are proud to bring LinkNYC, the world’s fastest and largest free public Wi-Fi network, to Bed-Stuy and Brooklyn,” said Jen Hensley, General Manager of LinkNYC. “LinkNYC will allow Brooklynites across the borough to get online when they need to, and we thank Mayor de Blasio and Borough President Eric Adams for helping make this state-of-the-art network possible.”

In November 2014, following a competitive bid process, the de Blasio Administration announced the selection of CityBridge – a consortium of companies that includes Intersection, Qualcomm, and CIVIQ Smartscapes – to develop and operate the first-of-its-kind LinkNYC network, bringing the world’s fastest public Wi-Fi to millions of New Yorkers and visitors. The five-borough network is funded entirely through advertising and will generate more than $500 million in revenue for the City.

LinkNYC’s roll out is following the installation of high-speed fiber optic cables throughout the city. Users will be able to stay connected with superfast Wi-Fi, even as they move through the five boroughs. The Administration worked closely with the Borough Presidents to determine a guaranteed number of Links in each borough – as outlined in the franchise agreement with CityBridge – to ensure this project would reach neighborhoods across the five boroughs. New Yorkers can see where Links are being installed and get more information at www.Link.nyc.

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