Google and The Chelsea Improvement Company have announced they have
partnered to provide free public WiFi internet access in southwest
Chelsea, which will provide free Internet access to hundreds of
thousands of people each year. It will become the first wired
neighborhood in Manhattan and the largest contiguous WiFi network in New
York City.
Free WiFi is now available outdoors, roughly between Gansevoort St. and
19 St. from 8th Ave to the West Side Highway, as well as the
neighborhood’s public spaces, including the Chelsea Triangle, 14th
Street Park, and Gansevoort Plaza. The Chelsea WiFi Network was designed
and installed by Sky-Packets.
The Mayor’s office and the City of New York’s Department of Information
Technology and Telecommunications worked with Google and Chelsea
Improvement Company to transform the two companies’ aspirations into a
reality, advising them on installation.
“Google is proud to provide free WiFi in the neighborhood we have called
home for over 6 years. This network will not only be a resource for the
2000+ residents of the Fulton Houses, it will also serve the 5,000+
student population of Chelsea as well as the hundreds of workers, retail
customers and tourists who visit our neighborhood every day,” said Ben
Fried, Chief Information Officer for Google. The network will cover all
of the outdoor areas of the Fulton Houses, a property owned and managed
by the New York City Housing Authority, as well as several of the local
public schools.
“We are excited to partner with Google in creating an important digital
amenity in New York City and giving thousands of New Yorkers free
Internet access,” said Dan Biederman, President of the Chelsea
Improvement Company.
“Each day access to the Internet becomes more and more important to
finding a good job or getting a good education, and this
neighborhood-wide wireless network will provide that resource to
hundreds of thousands,” said Schumer. “This cutting edge wireless
network will help to cement New York’s reputation as a leader in
technological development, will help the city continue to attract
business and grow our booming Silicon Alley, and will take us one step
closer to our goal of becoming the most well connected city in America.”
“New York is determined to become the world’s leading digital city, and
universal access to high-speed Internet is one the core building blocks
of that vision,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Thanks to Google, free WiFi
across this part of Chelsea takes us another step closer to that goal.”
“I applaud this important collaboration between Google and the Chelsea
Improvement Company to bring free public WiFi Internet access to
residents, students, and visitors of southwest Chelsea,” said City
Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “This public-private partnership
benefits the local community while further cementing Google’s role as an
important contributor to the future development of the area as a hub for
the city’s technology industry. I also want to thank Mayor Bloomberg and
everyone at the NYC Department of Information Technology &
Telecommunications for working collaboratively to make this possible.”
“Chelsea WiFi is a great new resource for our neighborhood. Hudson Guild
will use the network as a teaching resource for kids, as a tool to
connect older adults inside and outside the senior center and to stay in
touch with working parents. This free Internet access will, literally,
help Chelsea stay connected,” said Ken Jockers, Executive Director of
the Hudson Guild.
About Google Inc.
Google is a global technology leader focused on improving the ways
people connect with information. Google’s innovations in web search and
advertising have made its website a top internet property and its brand
one of the most recognized in the world. Google has more than 3000
employees in its Chelsea headquarters at 111 Eighth Ave. For more
information, visit www.google.com/about.html.
About the Chelsea Improvement Company:
The Chelsea Improvement Company is a nonprofit neighborhood
redevelopment corporation that seeks to improve the day-to-day lives of
the people who live, work, and visit southwest Chelsea. CIC provdes
services that supplement those provided by city government–like our
sanitation and security programs–and investing in the neighborhood's
streetscape. The Chelsea Improvement Company began operating in January
2007 as a response to the rapidly changing conditions in the
neighborhood: what had been a largely industrial area was fast becoming
one of the city's most desirable neighborhoods for offices, retail, and
living. All of the new activity brought lots more people onto the
streets, where they encountered unpleasant or even dangerous conditions
on sidewalks. As a result of the Chelsea Improvement Company's efforts,
the streets are now safer, brighter, and cleaner, as well as more
inviting for pedestrians and cars alike. More information is at: www.chelseaimprovement.com
