Free WiFi in Times Square

It's a veritable WiFi bonanza these days -- it's like all the marketers in the world suddenly sat up and said, hey wait, I know! Let's turn on the internet everywhere, for free. Where are the frill Ecstasy pills and massages on ever corner? The latest WiFi freedom zone is in one of the busiest spots in the country -- the middle of Times Square. Yahoo and the Times Square Alliance partnered to offer WiFi in the Pedestrian Plaza, where the TKTS discount ticket booth is located (pictured above, with visitors on top).

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The free WiFi went live yesterday, and those who lucky enough to hop online on day one were also treated to a free cup of coffee. Word on the street is that if you are lucky resident of the blocks surrounding Times Square, the WiFi signal is strong enough to reach you; seems fair, as the poor schmucks that have to live by Times Square deserve a little perk now and then. However, we’ve seen this free WiFi thing before, with disastrous results. The free WiFi in Central Park that launched in 2006 was shut down two years later, with no signs of a replacement signal. It’s all free coffee and internet until someone doesn’t get paid.