Downtown Alliance Announces Nation's First Wireless Business District in Lower Manhattan; Free Wireless Connection Available Throughout Area Via Seven Outdoor Hubs.Business Editors NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 4, 2003 The Downtown Alliance has announced that it will establish the first wireless business district in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , launching a free wireless "Wi-Fi" network throughout Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York. Lower Manhattan is generally defined as the area delineated on the north by Chambers Street, on the west by the Hudson River (North during the spring, summer and fall months. The Lower Manhattan Wireless Network, which will be available free of charge at seven "hot spots hot spots acute moist dermatitis. " at strategically located open spaces, will enable Lower Manhattan residents, workers and visitors to access the Internet wirelessly from laptops and PDAs. The network, which will launch May 1, 2003, will be designed to enable anyone to walk to a hot spot within five minutes from any point below Chambers Street Chambers Street is a street in Edinburgh, Scotland, at south of the Old Town. The street is named after William Chambers of Glenormiston, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh who was the main proponent of the 1867 Edinburgh Improvement Act, which gave permission for the street's . "Establishing a wireless network throughout Lower Manhattan is an innovative use of technology that will benefit area employees and residents while also helping to attract new businesses to the area," said Downtown Alliance President Carl Weisbrod. "This network highlights the advanced telecommunications infrastructure in Lower Manhattan, an area that remains at the forefront of business evolution." Last year, the Downtown Alliance installed an 802.11B Wireless Local Area Network in a base station at 25 Broadway to facilitate wireless connections in Bowling Green Park, the oldest public space in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. . The network, which enabled connection speeds as fast as a DSL connection and could accommodate more than 254 users simultaneously, boasted one of the highest concentrations of use in New York City. The expanded network will include similar hot spots at seven locations: Bowling Green, Vietnam Veterans Plaza on Water Street; Rector Park in Battery Park City; Liberty Plaza, Broadway and Liberty Street; South Street Seaport The South Street Seaport is a historic area in the New York City borough of Manhattan, located where Fulton Street meets the East River, and adjacent to the Financial District. The Seaport is usually considered a historical district, distinct from the neighboring Financial District. , and City Hall Park. The Lower Manhattan Wireless Network will provide significant community-building benefits, enabling users to access timely information about the surrounding area such as the day's events, proximate proximate /prox·i·mate/ (prok´si-mit) immediate or nearest. prox·i·mate adj. Closely related in space, time, or order; very near; proximal. proximate immediate; nearest. retailers, and neighborhood history. Emenity, a Manhattan-based consulting firm that specializes in local wireless networks, will install and maintain the network. Emenity's CornerCast technology will provide local information about Lower Manhattan and nearby businesses to visitors at each of the seven hot spots. "Emenity is excited to work with the Downtown Alliance to further spread this valuable wireless service throughout Lower Manhattan," said Anthony Townsend, Chief Operating Officer Chief Operating Officer (COO) The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. of Emenity. To access the free wireless connection, laptop users will require an "802.11 card," which is standard in most high-end laptops and which can be purchased separately (for approximately $60) and installed in most laptops. |
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