Broadband

NYC creates digital equity officer role, roadmap

New York City announced a new chief digital equity officer role and working group to guide efforts to boost access to high-speed internet and digital skills training.

By Keely Quinlan

March 11, 2025

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New York City Mayor Eric Adams looks on during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on sanctuary cities' policies at the U.S. Capitol on March 5, 2025 in Washington, D.C. The hearing comes as President Donald Trump looks to implement key elements of his immigration policy, while threatening to cut funding to cities that resist the administration’s immigration efforts. (Alex Wong / Getty Images)

New York City officials on Friday revealed a $2.4 million project to advance digital equity.

Mayor Eric Adams and city Chief Technology Officer Matthew Fraser announced the NYC Digital Equity Roadmap, a document containing 11 initiatives the city says it will undertake in the coming months to continue closing the gap in access to broadband service across the five boroughs. The initiatives include expanding access to devices and digital literacy skills education and renovating computer labs in libraries and older adult centers.

The city is also creating a new chief digital equity officer role and an interagency Digital Equity Working Group to guide the efforts.

The efforts build on the Adams administration’s work to close the digital divide since 2022, through programs such as Big Apple Connect and Gigabit Centers, which provide free high-speed internet access in the five boroughs. According to the city, about 30% of New York City households — or nearly 2.5 million residents — do not have both mobile and home broadband service, and nearly 10% of residents lack a computer at home.

The roadmap’s 11 new initiatives focus on bolstering digital support and skills training for English learners and non-English speakers and providing increased connectivity for older adults. The New York City Office of Technology and Innovation will lead implementation and partner with other publicly funded organizations, such as the New York City Department of Housing and Preservation Department, the New York City Department for the Aging and the New York Public Library.

“In today’s digital age, access to the internet, devices, and digital literacy are not a luxury — they are a necessity,” Adams said in a news release. “Our administration remains committed to bridging the digital divide, and with today’s $2.4 million investment, we are ensuring that every New Yorker has the tools they need to thrive. We are meeting New Yorkers where they are — expanding computer labs in our libraries and at older adult centers across the five boroughs — as we provide critical resources and advance equity across our city.”

Fraser said the administration’s digital divide work has always centered on “the immediate needs” of residents.

“Our focus remains on the fundamentals of digital equity: equitable access to the internet, to devices, and to digital skills training,” Fraser said in the release. “I am grateful to all of our city agency partners that contributed to this roadmap, and am confident that our coordinated approach will ensure residents, regardless of background or zip code, possess the tools and knowledge to fully participate in our 21st-century society.”