NYC extends broadband assistance program by 3 years
New York City is extending Big Apple Connect, a program that offers free internet and cable service to public housing residents, for an additional three years, Mayor Eric Adams and city Chief Technology Officer Matt Fraser announced Monday.
Big Apple Connect, which launched in 2022, has provided more than 150,000 households — or 330,000 residents at 220 public housing developments — with free home internet access, more than any other city in the nation, according to the city. Before the program’s creation, nearly 40% of city public housing residents lacked access to broadband.
Under the new agreement, the New York City Office of Technology and Innovation will continue to be billed directly for all residents enrolled in the program. The new deal also features additional funding from the two service providers for digital literacy training and a new online digital literacy hub with digital skills training, job application assistance and resume creation help.
“Since its creation three years ago, ‘Big Apple Connect’ has transformed the lives of working-class New Yorkers across the five boroughs and become the gold standard for municipal broadband initiatives,” Fraser said in a news release.
The extension builds on other Adams administration broadband initiatives. In July, the mayor announced a new pilot program, called Liberty Link, designed to bring free or low-cost wireless internet to nearly 2,200 public housing units. In March, the city spent $2.4 million to advance digital equity in disadvantaged communities, an initiative that included a new policy roadmap and a new chief digital equity officer role.
