Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) have launched free public Wi-Fi to the Chelsea neighborhood in New York City. The area spans from Gansevoort Street and 19th Street to 8th Avenue and the West Side Highway. The covered area includes 14th Street Park, Chelsea Triangle, and Gansevoort Plaza.
This is progress for Google as they’ve been trying to get free public Wi-Fi in New York City for several months. Last summer, Google brought free Wi-Fi to over 200 hot-spot locations throughout New York City. They also offered more free Wi-Fi at six MTA subway stations.
Google’s move for free public Wi-Fi in the Chelsea neighborhood was a smart decision as this area is home to Google’s New York offices, as well as many college students, tech start-ups, and low-income families.
The chief information officer, Ben Fried, recently released a statement claiming that Google is proud to offer free Wi-Fi in a neighborhood they’ve called home for six years. He added, “This network will not only be a resource for the 2000-plus residents of the Fulton Houses, it will also serve the 5,000-plus student population of Chelsea as well as the hundreds of workers, retail customers and tourists who visit our neighborhood every day.”
Last year Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) introduced a fiber-optic internet service in Kansas City, Kansas. The fiber optic service has nothing to with the Wi-Fi service expansion.
Google’s Wi-Fi service has impressive speeds of 5 to 10 megabits per second which is about on par as home internet connection speeds. As a bonus, they’re not collecting any data from the users, although said users must agree to terms of service. There is no word on when or if Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) will expand this free Wi-Fi service elsewhere in the city or in the nation. It’s predicted that Google’s free service will attract more tech companies to New York City.
