AT&T takes an initiative to keep the "New Yorkers connected" via its latest Street Charge Stations to help smartphone owners charge their devices on the go.
The latest move by AT&T is an effort to keep the people connected under all conditions such as the Hurricane Sandy incident, when New Yorkers lost power for days and had no means of communication as their phones died. But the AT&T Street Charge is about to change that by providing solar-powered charging stations for the public to charge their smartphones while on the go.
People may experience a need to make an emergency call just when the phone's battery gives up. Considering these helpless moments, AT&T teamed up with Goal Zero, a leading solar industry player, and Brooklyn-based design firm Pensa, which demonstrated the model a few months back to bring the Street Charge concept into action, reveals the press release. .
AT&T Street Charge stations feature the latest solar panel and battery technology to accommodate most of the smartphones including devices with Micro USB, USB, 30-pin connector or Lightning port. The Street Charge stations display a modern design with three 15-watt solar panels drawing power from the top and storing in the built-in powerful 168 watt-hour lithium batteries, which can keep the chargers running for days even without the sun.
"Nearly half of all Americans own a smartphone, and the amount of time we spend on handheld devices has increased dramatically," said Joe Atkin, president and CEO of Goal Zero, according to Mashable. "All too often, we hear the dreaded low-battery beep and it happens at the most inconvenient times. Street Charge will fix that."
This latest move for the general public's benefit isn't the first time for AT&T as they also provided free WiFi across more than two dozen New York City Parks two years ago. More recently, last year, AT&T offered underground cellular services on 36 subway platforms.
AT&T aims to expand the charging stations to 25 locations by the end of summer if the 90-days promotional stations in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Along Pier 1 Promenade, Riverside Park, Pier 1, Fort Greene Park and Union Square are a success.
