Verizon buys LQD WiFi, a company that builds urban smart hubs

Verizon could soon be making its presence known nearby with beacon-like smart hubs. The company announced it has acquired the NYC-based startup LQD WiFi, which makes a kiosk system called Palo that delivers free Wi-Fi, community and location information, and emergency alerts to city dwellers.

Palo renderings appear similar to the Link NYC kiosks that are slowly infiltrating the five boroughs to provide similar kinds of information to New York City residents. Both Palo and Link NYC have established roots. LQD WiFi's founder and CEO Randy Ramusack worked at Microsoft Switzerland and Microsoft UK before starting the company, and Link NYC came out of the Intersection project of Google’s Sidewalk Labs. Palo appears to differ slightly from Link NYC in its design. Link NYC kiosks have a tablet installed on one side where users can search for the information they need. Palo kiosks, on the other hand, have 46-inch LCD touchscreens with interactive transit maps, real-time schedules, public safety information, and more.