Google Takes Over NYC's Free WiFi Project

dkatana writes: Google's new Smart Cities venture Sidewalk Labs announced the purchase of Intersection, the new company behind the LinkNYC project. nGoogle wants to speed up the developing of free internet access to New York residents and visitors, as a way to gather more information about their activities. Users of the pylons will provide the company invaluable data about their habits, places they visit, and browsing activity.

As part of the original LinkNYC plan, Intersection is scheduled to start deploying the new ad-supported, locally manufactured, WiFi 'pylons' this fall, reaching all five boroughs of the city. It will be the largest and fastest free municipal WiFi system in the world. After that, the company plans to start rolling out similar initiatives in other U.S. cities, but details have not been made public yet.

Comments

Soon Google will know everything about us all

[NotDrWho]

And double plus good it will be!

I hope it rolls out in more cities

[psergiu]

I hope it rolls out in more cities until it reaches mine.

Google can extract whatever habitual information he wants from my VPN connection over their free WiFi.
I'll make sure to stream data from /dev/urandom while i'm not actively using the connection, so they can have more information about me.

Thank You Google !

Re:I hope it rolls out in more cities

[flashsag]

I see you're not using Android 4.4 devices, which have a VPN bug that prevents any useful connection to a VPN.

Re:I hope it rolls out in more cities

[nine-times]

I'll make sure to stream data from /dev/urandom while i'm not actively using the connection, so they can have more information about me.

Great! I can't wait for our public communications infrastructure to be saturated by your random bits because a few jackasses are afraid that someone might catch on that they're looking at porn.

Re:I hope it rolls out in more cities

[psergiu]

It's not "our public communications infrastructure", it's Google's.
Or are you working for Google by any chance ? :-)

Re: I hope it rolls out in more cities

[psergiu]

This is /.
People here are supposed to know how to configure their own VPN servers.
But i see that for some people it's too hard to even create an account, so they post as ACs ;-)

Re:I hope it rolls out in more cities

[psergiu]

1) Random BSSID generator at every reconnect.

2) In fact, i would very much like to see relevant & useful ads. Right now, almost none of the ads i see are useful for me.
Example: I bought a car last month. Now half of my ads are about car sales. Thank you very much - i already have the car, i don't need another. I would like to see ads about accessories and add-ons for my new car. But noooo. New cars only.

I wish there was a page in the Google profile settings where you can enter keywords for the ad engine so the displayed ads are for something useful i could really click on. (claiming prior art)

Continuing the car example - i'll happily tell Google about my cars, the mileage & last service dates - i would not mind seeing ads about: Your 20xx Kia needs a oil change in the next 2 weeks, how about going to "Nearby Service Company" - oil change & tire rotation for only $number using coupon code GOOGLEOWNSYOU

Re:I hope it rolls out in more cities

[nine-times]

First, you seem to be missing the point in that your suggested behavior is the behavior of an asshole. This is why we can't have nice things.

But besides that, this news story is about Google taking over LinkNYC, a project to provide free, public municipal WiFi to the NYC. So yeah, we're talking about public infrastructure, even if Google will be the contractor tasked with building and maintaining it.

Re:I hope it rolls out in more cities

[psergiu]

Ok,

Then instead of random data, i'll just open a Torrent client to seed Linux & BSD distros and other free software.

You cannot win, your free wifi bandwidth will be reduced to acoustic modem dialup speeds anyway. :)

And please RTFA & TFL - it's not public infrastructure, the city will rent out locations for the pylons in exchange for $$$ - like any billboard. Only that those billboards will have touch-screens and Google-provided WiFi.

"Through Titan's advertising network, Link could bring $500 million in ad revenue to the city over the next 12 years, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio's office."

Re:I hope it rolls out in more cities

[nine-times]

it's not public infrastructure, the city will rent out locations for the pylons in exchange for $$$ - like any billboard.

So they're selling ad space on the side of the equipment-- what's your point here? This is a scheme for providing municipal WiFi. Does the road stop being "public infrastructure" because billboards are setup alongside it? Does the subway stop being "public transportation" because there are ads in it?

Go crawl back in your troll hole.

Re:I hope it rolls out in more cities

[chihowa]

In fact, i would very much like to see relevant & useful ads. Right now, almost none of the ads i see are useful for me.

You would very much like to see relevant & useful ads, or you would very much like to stop seeing irrelevant & useless ads?

Because while the latter is true for me and most of the people that I know, the former is not quite so popular and doesn't necessarily follow from the latter. A much more palatable way to see fewer irrelevant & useless ads would be to stop seeing so many ads altogether. The more Google's hand touches things, the less likely that is to ever happen.

Re:I hope it rolls out in more cities

[kqs]

I would like to stop seeing irrelevant & useless ads, and I would like the websites I use to continue getting enough money to operate.

If I see no ads, then I get one wish but not the other (more important) one.

If I see relevant & useful ads, I get both wishes. Sure, I'd rather see no ads, but if the cost is "lose many websites I like", then the price is way too high.

I am curious why you think that getting rid of google would decrease the number of ads you see? It seems like on google sites I see a few ads and a lot of content, while on other sites I cannot find the content behind the flashing, auto-playing, screen-covering ads.

Re:I hope it rolls out in more cities

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

When I go to eBay I start seeings ads on Facebook for what I had just searched for. Think about that for a minute.

Re:I hope it rolls out in more cities

[Obfuscant]

And please RTFA & TFL - it's not public infrastructure,

The radio frequencies being used are license-free publicly-owned resources. WiFi doesn't work by magic, it takes bandwidth in the radio spectrum.

When you are streaming random numbers just to be using the bandwidth, you are interfering with other users. Even other users who are not using Google's access points.

Re: I hope it rolls out in more cities

[jcwayne]

Wait...there's more than one?

Re:I hope it rolls out in more cities

[kqs]

You mean that advertising companies that put ads on both Facebook and eBay know how to look at referrer links? So they're sending you ads for something that you are interested in, rather than personal lube and adult diapers? (Unless that's what you searched for on eBay, of course.) Seems like a relative win. Sure, facebook without ads would be better, but then you'd have... no facebook, so as much as I personally dislike facebook, that would not be a win.

Re:I hope it rolls out in more cities

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

So they're sending you ads for something that you are interested in, rather than personal lube and adult diapers? .. Seems like a relative win.

So, just to be clear, you think it's okay for Facebook to collect information about your adult diaper fetish that you didn't explicitly give them. Correct?

Re:I hope it rolls out in more cities

[just another AC]

They will get your location data. They can leverage that to work out values for physical advertising in meat space.

You will give them information whether you like it or not. ...and if I put on my tinfoil hat, someone is already snooping your "secure" VPN connection

Re:I hope it rolls out in more cities

[kqs]

"Okay" is relative. I often wish the world were different, but given how the Internet works and how HTTP works, privacy is really hard. Given that, I don't waste time trying to put genies back in bottles.

So I'm trying to make a world where I don't have to be ashamed of (and cannot be fired from my job for) a diaper fetish. Where I cannot be refused insurance if someone finds out I have an expensive illness. Where I can be any gender (or no gender) I want. Cameras on phones and on streets are never going away, so I want just as many cameras pointed at police and at corporations as they have pointed at us.

Ads are not going away, so I'd rather the money they generate helps support the websites I like.

It's all about the Fi

[mtippett]

Tin foil hat on. It came to me last week.

Google has recently released Project Fi. A project/product (is project a codeword for beta now?) that will allow seamless transition between 2G/3G/LTE and *WiFi* for increased coverage and strength.

Project Fi is bandwidth charged, independent of data link being used - so while the underlying carriers (T-Mobile & Sprint) may charge wholesale for data, google will effectively get the bandwidth at "Google WiFi" for free - meaning that the data charges are a lot more profitable when going past a Starbucks, in NYC, etc. Although unproven, google might actually have meaningful alternate revenue sources from this model.

This is not fundamentally different than Xfinity's wifi sharing - except google is going for the Free WiFi in the Starbucks, NYC, etc. B2B is a lot more pragmatic, and a lot easier to enable.

Now if only Project Fi worked in a phone that was in the $2-300 range, I'd probably give it a go. But the Nexus 6 is too big and too expensive. Hopefully the invite won't expire.

Don't be evil?

[Anonymous Coward]

And even better, we'll get ads on free WiFi! I can't wait for this value added service! Go Google go!

Re:Don't be evil?

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

And once it becomes useful... cancelled!

It is no longer a "free" WiFi project

[QuietLagoon]

Users will be paying for it with google doing a wholesale collection of private data from those who use it.

Re:It is no longer a "free" WiFi project

[chemish]

Users will be paying for it with google doing a wholesale collection of private data from those who use it.

Does it surprise you that it isn't 'free'? Sorry to burst your bubble but it wasn't 'free' before and nothing ever is.

Re:It is no longer a "free" WiFi project

[funwithBSD]

All your base belong to us!

Re:It is no longer a "free" WiFi project

[crtreece]

Data analysis of traffic from user 59298: all we see is a stream of encrypted traffic to a known VPN provider.

Subway...?

[nine-times]

As a NYC resident, I appreciate the idea of free WiFi. I especially like the idea of having some kind of free Internet access for people who can't afford it, since... really... it's getting more and more of a disadvantage to not have access. I think Internet access should be considered linked to issues of economic opportunity, of public safety, and of free speech rights (your freedom of speech is hindered by not having access to telecommunications infrastructure).

But if I'm honest, the biggest thing I'd like to see for my own benefit is some kind of Internet access for the subway. Some subway stations get cell phone reception, depending on your carrier. Reception in the tunnels themselves is a bit of a rarity. Given that subway rides can take a couple of hours, it'd be nice to expect some kind of wireless access during that time.

Re:Subway...?

[tompaulco]

your freedom of speech is hindered by not having access to telecommunications infrastructure

Nope, your freedom of speech is not dependent upon any particular means of expression. You can stand on the street corner and express your views, but nobody is required to buy you a megaphone, or internet access, or Reuters.

Re:Subway...?

[DutchUncle]

I live near NYC and ride the subway weekly, and concur. But: Consider what we're asking for: we're in a metal box, rolling on metal rails, with a lot of high voltage and electric motors, UNDERGROUND . . . and we want radio reception. I'm amazed it works as well as it does! (Note - Some stations do have good wifi coverage, presumably installed because it has become part of the station infrastructure - not for critical sensors, I hope, but for information signs or advertising, and perhaps for video surveillance. )

Re:Subway...?

[nine-times]

Your view is, to be honest, myopic if not willfully ignorant. Your "freedom of speech" is not specifically dependent on a particular means. However, saying, "You don't need to have access to the Internet in order to express yourself" is a bit like saying, "You don't need to have access to roads, trains, or planes in order to travel." Yes, I suppose that's true, but failing to have access to that travel infrastructure sure does hinder your ability to travel.

It's also worth noting that the First Amendment specifies "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press". Now a lot of people assume that "freedom of the press" refers to "the press" as in "the fourth estate". However, at the time, referring to "the press" would also have implied simply, "the use of a printing press". This means that the amendment acknowledges that any "freedom of speech" is inhibited by denying access to the technology to disseminate your message.

But let's set all of that aside, because I'm ultimately not talking about a US Constitutional interpretation, arguing that the Federal government is somehow obligated by the First Amendment to provide Internet access to all citizens. I'm not saying that. I'm saying that the "freedom of speech" is not a right granted by the Constitution, but an inalienable right of all people. All people should have the freedom and ability to voice their opinions and views. Regardless of any legal or Constitutional obligations, we have a moral obligation to avoid culturally segregating massive numbers of people, preventing them from speaking their mind in public forums, and preventing them from hearing the viewpoints of others.

And in that sense, and to that end, I think it is a very good idea to provide public Internet access to those who can't afford it. Even if it's not a "free speech" issue in the sense of "The Supreme Court should rule on the Constitutionality of [whatever]", it's a "free speech" issue in the sense of "morally, these people should not be shut out of the conversation."

Re:Subway...?

[oldmac31310]

yeah right...NYC - I love it but it sucks so bad in so many ways...

Re:Subway...?

[oldmac31310]

Mostly because so many stations are close to the surface, in my experience. Much of NY subway is cut and cover and not far below surface level. More accident than design for the wifi, I think. NYC does not do 'nice things' for its residents. Every little bit has to be fought for, tooth and nail.

Re:Subway...?

[nine-times]

What you're listing are reasons why it's more difficult than providing wireless usually is, which is probably why it hasn't been done yet. However, it can be done. It should be done. We could debate how quickly and how extensively it should be done, but it should be done.

Sort of like putting signs in the subway station that tells you when the next train is coming. I understand that there are some challenges, and it's great that they have it in a few stations now, but really it should have have been done several years ago.

Re:Subway...?

[desdinova 216]

well, clearly the simple solution from a technical standpoint would be to equip the stations and the subway cars.

Re:Subway...?

[Dragonslicer]

Cell reception, at least with T-Mobile, works quite well in Boston's subways.

Re:Subway...?

[OhPlz]

Cell service in the subways is a curious thing. On the one hand, you can use your smart phones and other devices while riding. Yet on the other hand, the MBTA is constantly warning people against using expensive electronics on the subway because they're a ripe target for thieves.

Re:Subway...?

[OhPlz]

Where is the subway car going to get its connection from?

Re:Subway...?

[khr]

No, they're adding quite a lot of communications infrastructure to many stations in Manhattan. It's all visible overhead, and they publish articles about which ones they've done so far and which ones are scheduled next.

Re:Subway...?

[oldmac31310]

That may be so. But they have a long, long way to go before signals are anything more than patchy. Still, I don't particularly want people yammering like idiots on their phones while I try to snooze on the way to work.

Re:Subway...?

[Vitriol Angst]

"Freedom of Speech" is nothing without access to information. If a person cannot get to the Internet, they are confined to commercial forms of information.

In my opinion, if a person could only be informed by CNN, Fox and a Newspaper, they'd be better off not having an opinion at all.

And have you TRIED dealing with any kind of public service or support system without the Internet these days? Paying utility bills?

I think the concept some people have about going without the Internet is pretty old fashioned. You are shut out of a good portion of opportunity, access and "reality."

Didn't I Just See This Movie?

[DumbSwede]

Kingsman :)

oh no

[oldmac31310]

please no, no, no no.

How valuable is this to Google?

[oldmac31310]

I have fuck all money and so buy very little of anything apart from food. Will my local supermarket be Googlified in some way? Will I find myself suddenly drawn to a different aisle? I take the subway back and forth to and from the same stops. Will Google influence how I do this? The current free wi-fi is to be ignored at best. Fuck this shit.

Re:How valuable is this to Google?

[kqs]

I have fuck all money and so buy very little of anything apart from food. Will my local supermarket be Googlified in some way? Will I find myself suddenly drawn to a different aisle?

Not unless you've had wifi implanted in your spinal cord. (Maybe that's after the self-driving car is released?)

I take the subway back and forth to and from the same stops. Will Google influence how I do this?

Only if you use google maps to determine which subways stops to use. Which I did last time I was in NYC; it worked great! Rather than worrying about how I would get from hotel -> dinner -> entertainment -> hotel, I just followed the directions to the appropriate station; the only difficulty was figuring out which direction train I should take.

Re:gutting broadband in NYC?

[oldmac31310]

Betteridge.

Re:the title

[cjjjer]

Sorry but Social Media has beaten Google to it.