New York To Reveal Something New – The 21st Century Payphone

November 18, 2014 – Yesterday a friend of mine sent me a news clipping from The Washington Post. But before I talk about the content of what he forwarded I want to take you down memory lane for a minute. What was the world like before the appearance of the cellphone? When you needed a telephone and you were away from home there was within a block or two of where you were standing, a telephone booth. You pulled open the door and stepped into a glass box, dropped a dime or quarter into the coin slot and then dialled the party you wanted to speak to.

Where are those glass boxes today? And what do they look like? I walked by a stack of four of them on my morning outing with my dog and they very much looked like the one depicted below. None contained a telephone in any kind of working condition. It seems the only pay phones you find today are in the basement of malls, airports and train stations, and hotel lobbies. The ones on the street are for the most part broken and abandoned.

So that brings me back to the article my friend sent. It was about New York City and a plan to bring back the payphone. But not just the drop a coin in and call telephone of yesteryear. This technology will very much reflect the 21st century providing access points to the largest city-wide wireless Internet network.The proposed project is called LinkNYC. Take a look at the telephone booth of  the future as proposed in this project.

Local calling from one of these locations, called Links, will be free. No more dropping coins into the slot to get a dial tone. A network of thousands will cover New York City’s five boroughs with each Link containing state-of-the-art WiFi access plus advanced security and data encryption. WiFi access at each Link will be free. And each Link will feature a touchscreen display providing city services information, directions, and instant 911 and 311 access. Find your own mobile device running out of power. Not to worry, each Link will include a charging station for recharging mobile devices.

The revenue model is interesting as well. LinkNYC intends to pay for itself through digital display advertising. The revenue sharing with the city is split 50/50 and in its proposal has stated that New York’s share over the next 12 years will equal a half-billion dollars.

The news gets better. LinkNYC intends to produce its Links in the City employing 150 full time in production and 650 in support jobs.If construction begins in 2015, the goal will be to replace the 6,500 remaining payphones with 10,000 Links. The city intends to auction off the old payphones and even dedicate a few to the fans of Superman whose used phone booths to alter his persona from Clark Kent to the red-caped flying superhero.

The public-private partnership includes the municipal government and CityBridge, a consortium of companies featuring advertising agencies, manufacturers and Qualcomm, the telecommunications giant.

In summary each Link will provide:

1. Gigabit speed WiFi 24/7 free Internet access.
2. A secure setting with integrated lighting.
3. Android-based built-in digital touch screen tablet displays with directional speakers and microphone.
4. Public service announcement content, display maps and inviting interactive advertising.
5. A tactile keypad that includes Braille  lettering, a dedicated 911 call button, a USB charger, and a headphone jack.
6. A booth constructed out of durable aluminum and designed with an attractive visual footprint.

So what to do with the old payphone booth? Here are a couple of ideas.

Related articles across the web

• This Is New York City’s Big Plan To Have The Fastest Public WiFi In The World
• NYC plan would replace pay phones with Wi-Fi hubs