Towerstream announces Manhattan WiFi network #nyc #broadband #WiFi

According to Bloomberg WiMax ISP Towerstream has announced a scheme to install a network of about 1,000 outdoor wireless routers in Manhattan, and sell ‘hand off’ access to the system to wireless carriers to cover service gaps. The article states:

During a demonstration recently on the corner of West Broadway and Broome Street in New York’s SoHo district, an iPhone’s data speed leapt from .35 megabits per second to 26 Mbps.

Noting that the routers will cost $800 and Towerstream will pay up to $1k/month to rent locations the article details an earlier test of 200 routers:

Without any promotion, the network handled 20 million Web sessions by consumers who happened to spot Towerstream when trolling for a Wi-Fi connection. That’s a fifth of the Wi-Fi traffic generated by AT&T during the same three months at its hotspots, which include most Starbucks and McDonald’s.