Speech at City Hall Park

I was recently asked to speak at City Hall Park in New York City about public wireless and the work that NYCwireless has done. Here’s the video, with the transcript following.

NYCwireless was formed in the spring of 2001 to bring free public wireless internet to the people of New York City. As one of the first and most visible Community Wireless Networks, we created the first park hotspot in Tompkins Square Park. We were the first to partner with both public and private organizations to bring freely available internet to dozens of parks and other public spaces like Bryant Park, Union Square Park, and City Hall Park. We created the first Wireless Art Festival, called Spectropolis, which for the past two years celebrated and explored what technology and art can create in an urban environment, bringing the internet off of desktops and onto street corners. And we were one of the first to bring free wireless internet to the homes and apartments of some of the underserved citizens of this city. Like many other things this great city has pioneered, NYCwireless has led the charge for public wireless internet.

What we’ve accomplished with the help of many New Yorkers is important. We stand now at the beginning of a new era, one where every citizen lives a digital and connected life, where information is available on every street corner, education is available from every park bench, and our friends and family are always only a few button clicks away. And New York is ready to lead the way again. We believe that affordable, universal internet access is no longer a privilege, but a right and necessity for every New Yorker.

We believe that it is the responsibility of our government and each and every citizen to help make this new era come to pass, and applaud all who step up to the challenge. Working together with other organizations, we have seen the great things that free public wireless can bring to all New Yorkers, whether they are students living in the East Village, a family living in the Bronx, or just someone getting back on their feet with a job living in Harlem. New York was the greatest city of the 20th century. Its time for all of us to become the greatest City of the 21st.

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