New York City is usually able to boast the best of everything, from restaurants to shows, and everything in between, but it seems that when it comes to Wi-Fi, Fog City beats the Big Apple (News - Alert) by a long shot. As one of the country’s tech centers, it makes sense that San Francisco ranks high in the provision of Wi-Fi, but it would probably surprise some people to find out just how much it beats out New York by.
Devicescape has released a new report on the topic, “2013 Amenity Wi-Fi Analytics Report: SF vs. NYC,” detailing the data that they gathered. Their findings? Wi-Fi is approximately twice as available in San Francisco as it is in Manhattan. To be exact, 47 percent of businesses offer Wi-Fi in San Francisco; whereas 23 percent of businesses offer Wi-Fi in Manhattan.
The report also found a few more interesting insights about the availability of Wi-Fi in the two cities. In San Francisco, 50 percent of chains and 45 percent of independent stores offer free Wi-Fi; whereas, in New York City, 24 percent of chains and 22 percent of independent stores offer free Wi-Fi. It would appear that San Francisco coffee shops are not overly concerned with the national war between coffee shop owners and Wi-Fi squatters, as 75 percent of them offer Wi-Fi (compared with New York’s 55 percent).
In a recent statement, Dave Nowicki, the CMO of Devicescape, said, “There are several regional and citywide initiatives where San Francisco and New York City are making great strides in offering Wi-Fi to the public, including major tourist attractions and outdoor locations. But, when it comes to business establishments recognizing the value of offering shared Wi-Fi to customers, San Francisco leads the way as the most Wi-Fi friendly city in this contest.”
Edited by Rory J. Thompson