Can you imagine the public payphones spread throughout
Boston providing free Wi-Fi for all to enjoy? This
indeed may soon be the reality. The idea was generated by City
Councilor At-Large Felix Arroyo who first heard of such a
possibility from New York. It is here where the Big Apple has
already implemented this technology on ten of their payphones. In
essence, all individuals are now able to gain access to the
Internet, their emails and more for up to three hundred feet of
these Wi-Fi hotspots.
It is envisioned that a local business or neighborhood group
would gladly support this idea by sponsoring it to thus provide the
free service to the public. So how many payphones are there within
the city of Boston? This data has yet to be released, however it
must be noted that in the 1990s there were 2.2 million nationwide,
whereas across the country today there are thought to be just
500,000.
Some important statistics from 2010 to be mindful of are the
following from Arroyos fellow At-Large City Councilor in Boston,
Ayanna Pressley:
- 40% of households with incomes below $25,000 have Internet
access - 93% of households with incomes above $100,000 have Internet
access - 55% of African-Americans families have Internet access
- 57% of Hispanic families have Internet access
- 72% of Caucasian families have Internet access
It remains to be seen whether this movement gathers much steam
or if it is even practical for Boston and its
current payphone locations. As of now, the order has been received
by the Committee on City, Neighborhood Services & Veterans Affairs
and a later hearing is expected to occur in the near future.
More Information: Fenway-Kenmore
Patch