Google Brings Free Wi-Fi to an Entire NYC Neighborhood

Kansas City became the envy of the technology-literate when Google announced that it would be bringing its affordable and lightning-fast Google Fiber to the city. Now, the world can eye New York with jealousy, as Google's brought free Wi-Fi to the Chelsea area. Much like Mountain View, Google is bringing free Wi-Fi to the city that houses its New York offices.

Google is doing its part in the community, bringing free Wi-Fi to some of the poorest areas of Chelsea. “This is the largest (area) we've ever done," said Alex Abelin, community affairs manager for Google to New York Daily News. "The best way to help a community is to connect it. People don’t know that 15 percent of Chelsea lives below the poverty line. This can help that." The fact that adding free Wi-Fi helps spur the growth of Silicon Alley, an area in Manhattan rife with tech startups, doesn't hurt either.

This isn't a huge ploy for Google to gain business from this area through advertising, though. The service will be free of advertising outside of a message to users that the Wi-Fi is complimentary of Google.

The Wi-Fi will be without a password and is readily available in Chelsea already for users to connect to.

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  • unoriginal1
    Good job Google. Glad to see companies giving back.
    Reply
  • luis9317
    GOOD! THEY SHOWING THEY WANT TO EXPAND... IS A SLOW PROCESS BUT ONE DAY I WILL REPLACE TWC IN NYC WITH GOOGLE SERVICES
    Reply
  • Pherule
    JacekRingJust you wait, in a week or two they will be sued by one of the wireless IP's in NYC for "unfair business practices" because they are providing a free service that they are charging for right now.I hope those wireless ISPs will get their asses handed to them by Google's lawyers.
    Reply
  • ivanto
    I hope google does not data spoof and capture passwords and other data like they did with Street view cars.
    Reply
  • anxiousinfusion
    This isn't even their final form.
    Reply
  • tripledouce
    ... And is mining for all the advertising Data it can.
    Reply
  • yzfr1guy
    Yeah more forced radiation for the mass's!
    Reply
  • scout62
    If these people are so poor, what the hell are they going to connect to the wifi with?
    Reply
  • A Bad Day
    ivantoI hope google does not data spoof and capture passwords and other data like they did with Street view cars.
    Class action lawsuit from at leas hundreds of thousands of people and dozens of businesses ranging from mom-and-pop to big-enough-to-kill-you-with-lawyers in 3... 2... 1...
    Reply
  • A Bad Day
    yzfr1guyYeah more forced radiation for the mass's!
    Might as ban radios (including dish/antenna/satellite TV) and microwaves as well...
    Reply