New York City Officials have unveiled, the potential New look for a much Taller, 5G-enabled LinkNYC Kiosk.
The Design change, adding about 20 feet to the overall height of the Kiosks, is part of a Plan to revive the Stalled-Out LinkNYC Program, which provides Free public Wi-Fi and USB Charging, Financed by Digital Advertising, sold on the Kiosk's screens.
After the Private Company operating the Project, CityBridge, fell behind by about $60 Million in Revenue it promised to Share with the City, the LinkNYC Franchise Agreement was Amended, during the spring, to add 5G Cellular Equipment to the Kiosks as an additional Revenue source.
Documents posted Tuesday, for the October Meeting of the City's Public Design Commission, revealed the New Look, which would require Approval from the Board.
CityBridge and the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DOITT), which oversees LinkNYC, will Present the Design formally, on Oct. 18th.
The New Design rises to 32 feet, compared to the original 10-foot Kiosk, with Pole hosting a Pen Cap-like Top, that would host Equipment transmitting 5G Signals.
The Digital Ad Screen would remain the same size, according to the Filing, and some of the New Kiosks would have only the 5G Nodes, without a Screen.
5G is the Next-Generation Cellular Network, which is still in its Early Stages, but is expected to offer Speedier Download Speeds than the current 4G LTE.
LinkNYC would join a Wider Rollout for the Network that includes adding Equipment to: Buildings, Light Poles, and other Street Furniture.
The 5G Nodes on the LinkNYC Devices, must be placed at a Height similar to the Tops of Street Poles, under Regulations set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as stated in the Document submitted to the Design Commission by the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications.
The Public Design Commission, last year, Approved a Design for 5G Equipment on City Light Posts, but it Barred the Plan from Three types of Poles that have Historic Significance.
In the Document, officials with DoITT say the 5G Plan is the "only path forward to sustain the LinkNYC program and expand into neighborhoods that will most benefit from free, high-speed internet." CityBridge CEO, Nick Colvin, said in a Statement that the Plan “will enable the equitable deployment of the latest wireless technology in previously underserved neighborhoods across New York City.”
A New LinkNYC Kiosk has Not been installed since 2018 and fewer than 2,000 of the 7,500 Devices, the Company was contracted to build by 2029, are in Place.
City Officials Renegotiated the Contract during the spring, agreeing to allow 5G Equipment on the Devices and Lowering the minimum Ad Revenue-Sharing Payments from $750 Million over 15 years to $160 Million.
In exchange, CityBridge is required to Build at least 2,000 Kiosks outside Lower Manhattan and Midtown, in the next Three years.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
