City of Harlem to receive largest free public Wi-Fi network in country
New York City Mayor Bloomberg announced that Harlem will receive the nation’s largest continuous free outdoor public Wi-Fi network.
When completed in May, the Harlem WiFi Network will cover 95 blocks, and will provide free on-the-go connectivity to roughly 80,000 Harlem residents, businesses and visitors.
“Our new Harlem wireless network brings critical connectivity to residents and visitors, giving them 24/7 access to everything from education materials for kids, to information about Harlem’s rich history and attractions, to everyday needs like paying bills, checking library hours — or even just keeping tabs on the Knicks and Nets,” Bloomberg said in a press release.
According to the Boston Globe, “roughly one in three Americans still do not have broadband Internet service at home; a whopping 40 percent of African-Americans and half of Hispanic Americans are out in the cold when it comes to broadband.”
The Fuhrman Family Foundation is funding the project, which will provide users with free, unlimited 254 hour Internet access from portable devices in outdoor locations within the borough’s parameters.
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