
The Startup Behind NYC’s Plan to Replace Phone Booths with 7500 Connected Kiosks - rbanffy
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/608281/the-startup-behind-nycs-plan-to-replace-phone-booths-with-7500-connected-kiosks/
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bogomipz
The startup behind this is Google.

"Intersection was formed as a merger between Titan, the largest municipal out-
of-home company, and Control Group, a leader in technology and design
innovation. We are backed by Alphabet through its urban technology company,
Sidewalk Labs."[1]

Google actually acquired all of these companies:

"Today Sidewalk revealed its first move: The acquisition of two companies that
are working to bring free, public Wi-fi to NYC.

Control Group and Titan Outdoor are both behind an effort called LinkNYC,
which aims to put Wi-fi and digital advertising screens in thousands of pay
phone booths across the city. The Wi-fi hotspots will also offer charging
stations for cell phones and free calls to anywhere in the US."[2]

While there is clear benefit in providing free wifi and emergency services to
citizens and tourists, this comes at the cost of even more advertising blight.

I think it opens up some questions like "should out city's be in the
advertising business? If so "should New York City be advertising alcohol to
its residents"? See the following:

[http://www.adweek.com/digital/coors-light-offering-
neighborh...](http://www.adweek.com/digital/coors-light-offering-neighborhood-
specific-mobile-music-new-yorkers-169112/)

Also I have to ask do cities really need yet more advertising? This whole
thing smacks of little more than a ploy for Google to take a piece of
traditional billboard advertising along with some new sources of data
collection, under the pretense of "civic improvement."

I was recently struck by kiosk after kiosk along 1st ave advertising Coors
Light Beer and yet I saw nobody interacting with the kiosks in any way. Yes I
realize this is anecdotal but its also an observation that's been made over
the many months since the program's inception.

[1] [http://www.intersection.com/](http://www.intersection.com/)

[2] [http://www.businessinsider.com/google-sidewalk-labs-
acquires...](http://www.businessinsider.com/google-sidewalk-labs-acquires-
titan-outdoor-and-control-group-2015-6)

