Now, though, they will be able to log on outdoors and for free.

The city's Parks Department says that by July there will be eight wireless hotspots offering coverage over much of Central Park, where thousands of office workers and tourists eat lunch or relax away from the mayhem of Manhattan.

New York has already rolled out free wireless connection in other selected areas, including Bryant Park in mid-town and Tompkins Square Park in the East Village, and eventually all major parks in the city will offer coverage.

It is all paid for by corporate sponsorship and may be the blueprint for even more ambitious projects in locations including Philadelphia, which aim to eventually offer free wireless access not just in public spaces but across entire American cities.