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AT&T brings free WiFi to four more NYC parks, will occupy your downtime

AT&T's public WiFi rollout seems to be moving along rather splendidly, now that four additional New York City parks have been bathed in the golden rays of the internet. The carrier confirmed the expansion yesterday, announcing that its free WiFi service is now available at Mineral Springs and Tavern on the Green in Central Park, as well as Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park and Devoe Park, up in the Bronx. That brings AT&T closer to its goal of 26 WiFi-enabled city locations, and inches New Yorkers ever closer to networked nirvana. Full PR after the break.

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New York City Parks Visitors Made More Than 750,000 Connections to Free AT&T Wi-Fi Since June

AT&T Launches Four More Parks Locations to NYC Wi-Fi in the Parks Initiative

NEW YORK, Dec. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Visitors are busy logging on with the expansion of free AT&T* Wi-Fi service in New York City parks across the five boroughs, including four additional parks locations launched today: Mineral Springs and Tavern on the Green in Central Park, Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park and Devoe Park in the Bronx.
Since the parks first installation in June:

Park visitors have made more than three quarters of a million connections to the AT&T Wi-Fi Network.
More than 200,000 connections have been made in popular parks like Battery Park and Central Park.
Visitors are making more than 4,000 connections per day to the AT&T Wi-Fi network from NYC Parks.

"With so many visitors taking advantage of free Wi-Fi in the parks since June, this initiative has been a huge success," said Tom DeVito, AT&T vice president and general manager for New York and New Jersey. "By adding four new locations today, we're thrilled that millions more parks visitors can take advantage of this service all year round."

"Parks are not only great places to throw a ball, read a book, or catch some rays or waves, they are also ideal for surfing the net," said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "Thanks to our partnership with AT&T even more New Yorkers have benefitted from free Wi-Fi access in their local parks and we are thrilled that new sites across the city are continuing to come online."

The launch is part of a five-year digital initiative with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and the City of New York to provide free Wi-Fi at 26 locations in 20 New York City parks across the five boroughs. In addition to the four locations announced today, New Yorkers can now access free AT&T Wi-Fi at many other park locations across all five boroughs including:

Herbert Von King Park
McCarren Park Field House
Pier 1 at Brooklyn Bridge Park
Prospect Park Picnic House
Astoria Park
Tompkins Square Park
Marcus Garvey Park
Clove Lakes Park
Battery Park (Battery Bosque and Ferry Landing)
Rumsey Playfield
Areas of Thomas Jefferson Park
Joyce Kilmer Park

AT&T Wi-Fi at city parks will be free for all users. From most AT&T smartphones and devices, customers will be able to automatically connect and switch seamlessly between AT&T's Wi-Fi and wireless networks. Virtually all new AT&T smartphones come equipped with Wi-Fi technology, and Wi-Fi use doesn't count toward customers' smartphone data plans. Consumers are increasingly relying on AT&T Wi-Fi to connect in more places from more devices. New York City consumers made 24.5 million AT&T Wi-Fi connections in the third quarter of 2011 – more than all the connections made in all of 2008.

In addition to New York City parks, AT&T offers Wi-Fi hotspots and hotzones across the city. New York City Times Square was the site of the very first AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Zone, and AT&T has added hotzones near Rockefeller Center, near St. Patrick's Cathedral, along Park Avenue and near the Ed Sullivan Theater. AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Zones supplement mobile broadbandcoverage in areas with consistently high traffic.

AT&T operates the nation's largest Wi-Fi network** with more than 29,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots at popular restaurants, hotels, bookstores and retailers, including more than 1,250 hotspot locations in the New York metro area.

For more information on AT&T Wi-Fi locations and instructions on how to connect, visit AT&T Wi-Fi Access.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
** Largest based on company branded and operated hotspots. Access includes AT&T Wi-Fi Basic. A Wi-Fi enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. See www.attwifi.com for details and locations.