@futurebird@sauropods.win In the UK we have the same sort of hardware being used primarily for advertising, exploiting a loophole in the planning regulations that allows telecoms companies to install phone boxes. By providing WiFi and/or phone calls, they're allowed to clutter our pedestrian areas with obnoxious advertising screens that nobody really wants.

I've never actually tried to use them for telecoms services, but I've cycled past while bored teenagers were making hoax calls from one...

Nice to know that they're being used for something good elsewhere, though.

@futurebird @linuxandyarn @johntimaeus I would say it blew right over you.

Some observations about how linkNYC is used:

* Emergency calls. This was the main reason something needed to replace the payphones. Even at time of removal payphones were still important for emergencies.

* Information network: the screens can get information to the whole city in an emergency.

* charging phones: they have USB ports where people charge their phones. Some annoying people complain about "homeless people" (how do you know) using them? IDK I've used them in a pinch.

@futurebird "These chargers are only for the landed aristocracy. How dare you!"