Broadband

New York City’s ‘Liberty Link’ to install free Wi-Fi in public housing

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a new program designed to bring free or low-cost internet to nearly 2,200 households living in public housing.

By Sophia Fox-Sowell

July 23, 2025

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New York Mayor Eric Adams stands next to an oversized model of a wireless router as he announces a new program to bring Wi-Fi to public housing residents on July 23, 2025. (Office of Eric Adams)

New York City officials on Wednesday announced a new pilot program, called Liberty Link, to bring free or low-cost internet to nearly 2,200 households living in public housing.

The initiative will deliver building-wide high-speed Wi-Fi to 35 buildings in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan, where many residents struggle with internet access. According to the Bronx Community Foundation, roughly 22% of households in the borough still lack home internet.

At a press conference announcing the program on Wednesday, Mayor Eric Adams described internet access as an “essential service” in today’s world.

“Whether it’s finding a job, filling a prescription, or applying for child care, the internet is no longer a luxury. It’s an essential service,” Adams told reporters as he stood beside an oversized model of a wireless router.

Adams said the program builds on the city’s “Big Apple Connect” program, launched in 2022, which gave free internet to hundreds of thousands of public housing residents.

New York is spending $3.25 million on the project, which is led by the New York Public Library and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The library will oversee the installation of fiber connections and shared Wi-Fi systems in the selected buildings. Residents can also learn digital literacy skills through HPD’s Neighborhood Tech Help program.

According to the announcement, the program will test a variety of internet technologies and delivery methods over the next three years, including wireless networks and fiber optic connections, with half the installation contracts awarded to minority or women-owned businesses.

“For the families we serve, the internet isn’t a luxury — it’s how you find a job, get your kids through school, stay connected to health care and community,” HPD Acting Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said of the initiative. “With Liberty Link, we’re meeting people where they are and removing a barrier that’s held too many New Yorkers back for far too long.”