“Verizon Communications yesterday introduced one of the oldest items in its inventory — the humble phone booth — as its newest weapon in the bitter competition to dominate the broadband communications market of the future.

Verizon said that subscribers to its high-speed Internet access service would be able to go online wirelessly at no charge when they are near a Verizon phone booth in Manhattan.

Verizon said that 150 phone booths — from the Battery to Columbia University — had already been equipped with radio-signal technology, popularly known as Wi-Fi, to enable mobile computer users who are within 300 feet of a booth to connect to the Internet. About 1,000 booths covering virtually all of Manhattan and a few spots in the other boroughs will become Wi-Fi “hot spots” by the end of the year, the company said.” NY Times