New York City has been converting old payphone cubicles throughout five districts into Wi-Fi hotspots.

Telephone companies seem to have failingly managed taking a glance at their payphone booths, as many of these stalls are already in very poor shape, and much worse, have become an area of attraction for crime aficionados.

Thus, as a resolution to the increasingly unappealing statements regarding the issue, the city government has transformed those kiosks into Wi-Fi hotspots, offering more online access across ten specific locations around the city, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, which have already gained Internet contact on Wednesday.

Old New York City payphone cubicles will be converted into Wi-Fi hotspots. Image: Adrian Nier via Flickr (CC)

Other cities, including Staten Island and Bronx, will also possibly be availing the service in the “coming months”.

The following information is a roster of initial payphone kiosk hotspot locations installed around the Big Apple:

Brooklyn

• Brooklyn Heights-Cobble Hill: 545 Albee Square and 2 Smith Street

Queens

• Astoria: 30-94 Steinway Street

Manhattan

• SoHo: 402 West Broadway
• Fur-Flower District: 458 Seventh Avenue
• Theater District-Clinton: 28 West 48th Street
• Grand Central-United Nations: 410 Madison Avenue
• Midtown-Clinton: 1609 Broadway and 1790 Broadway
• Upper West Side: 230 West 95th Street

New York residents will be enjoying the service free of charge, which currently excludes ads, and will be accessible to passersby within 300 feet from the cubicles.

However, the cost of each installation approximately reaches to $2,000 and is funded by Van Wagner Communications and Titan Communications, holding majority of the city’s 13,000 pay phones.

About Francis Rey Balolong

A coffee junkie who spends most of his time writing about the latest news on social media and mobile technology. I would definitely consider myself a nerd (in the coolest most hipster way possible). That being said, I love technology, music, writing, and all things mobile. Follow me: Google+ Twitter

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