City of New York

New York City Mayor Adams Highlights Broadband in State of the City Address

New York City Mayor Eric Adams outlined a “Working People’s Agenda” in his second State of the City address. Under the Working People’s Agenda, the Adams administration will expand the Big Apple Connect program to reach even more New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments with free broadband and TV for tens of thousands of New Yorkers. The administration will also rovide free broadband access to households with Section 8 vouchers with a new pilot program in the Bronx and Northern Manhattan.

New York City Announces Free Municipal Broadband Program for New York City Housing Authority Residents

New York City (NY) will begin the citywide launch of ‘Big Apple Connect’ — a landmark digital equity program that will make free high-speed internet and basic cable TV available to approximately 300,000 New Yorkers living in more than 200 New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments by the end of 2023.

New York City Launches First Link5G Kiosk

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D-NY), Chief Technology Officer Matthew Fraser, and LinkNYC CEO Nick Colvin unveiled the first active Link5G kiosk, located in Morris Heights (NY). The new phase of LinkNYC — which provides free Wi-Fi, nationwide phone calls, and other digital services to New Yorkers — will offer 5G connectivity, with priority given to underserved areas throughout the five boroughs. Link5G will provide the needed infrastructure for cellular service providers to expand 5G wireless technology — the next generation of mobile phone service — across the five boroughs.

New York City Launches Internet Master Plan to Close the Digital Divide for 1.6 Million Residents

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the New York City Internet Master Plan to achieve affordable broadband for all. Through the

Mayor de Blasio Holds Verizon Accoubtable to Connect Half a Million New York City Households to Broadband

New York City is ensuring that Verizon builds out its FiOS footprint to 500,000 additional households, making high-speed fiber broadband available to more New Yorkers. The agreement secured by Mayor de Blasio addresses disparities faced by low-income and New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) families across the city. Due to the corporation’s previous failure to connect many buildings, large portions of New York City neighborhoods are under an effective monopoly, with only one cable and broadband provider, risking lower speeds and higher costs.

The Internet Master Plan

Today, there is a large digital divide in New York City. The majority of New Yorkers use a mobile connection and a home connection, and they increasingly need both to make full use of the internet. Mobile connectivity is especially critical for people who commute to service jobs or for those with unstable housing, while a connection at home is essential for doing homework or applying for a job.

Truth in Broadband: NYC Mayor's Office Issues RFI to Promote Open and Transparent Internet

The Mayor's Office of the Chief Technology Officer for the City of New York released a "Truth in Broadband” Request for Information (RFI) to establish transparency and accountability in how carriers provide internet service to consumers. The goal of the RFI is to gather input from industry and subject matter experts to help implement a system for monitoring the quality and performance of internet service providers.