AT&T offers portable charging stations for mobile devices in New York

NEW YORK, June 18 (UPI) -- AT&T has announced it is sponsoring 25 solar-powered charging stations in outdoor locations like parks and beaches across the five boroughs of New York City.

The chargers, topped by fan-shaped solar panels, can charge up to six devices at a time through three USB ports, one microUSB, one Apple 30-pin dock connector and one Apple Lightning connector each, ArsTechnica reported Tuesday.

The stations be at each location between three and four weeks at a time, rotating to new locations through October, AT&T said.

The charging stations will be installed in locations like Governors Island, Pier 59 in Hudson River Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park and Rockaway Beach as well as at "several cultural events," the company said.

Hurricane Sandy was reportedly the inspiration for the project; in the storm's aftermath AT&T provided diesel generators and portable cell towers to provide power and services to areas that had lost them because of storm damage.

"We view this as a commitment to being a part of the New York community as a corporate citizen but also as a way for New Yorkers to continue to engage with their technology as they continue to consume more and more data," Marissa Shorenstein, president of AT&T's New York division, said.

If the project, said to cost between $300,000 and $500,000, proves successful, AT&T could expand it to other cities, The New York Times reported.