Last week, a firm by the name of Devicescape proclaimed in a study that San Francisco puts New York City to shame when it comes to the quality and availability of Wi-Fi, with San Franciso leading in most metrics, from availability of non-password protected hotspots to the number of businesses offering public Wi-Fi.

Almost on cue, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced a new initiative aimed at providing an additional number of free Wi-Fi hotspots across the five boroughs. From a city announcement:

quote:

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Mayor Bloomberg today announced new initiatives to further expand wireless and broadband connectivity in New York City by addressing key challenges to ensure the city continues to grow as a global hub of technology and innovation in the 21st Century. Free public WiFi will be launched in Brooklyn along the Fulton Street corridor, BAM Cultural District, Brownsville, and Downtown Brooklyn; in Manhattan in the Flatiron District, along the Water Street Corridor and the East River waterfront in Lower Manhattan, the 125th Street corridor in Harlem and on Roosevelt Island; in Queens in Long Island City; in Staten Island in the St. George commercial district; and in the Bronx on Fordham Road, as well as other areas citywide.

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New York City run Wi-Fi options have been a little spotty; AT&T does offer free Wi-FI in some locations, and Time Warner Cable and Cablevision offer paid service (30 minutes free, 99 cents per day, unless you're a customer) in roughly 32 city parks.