Thousands of New Yorkers will get free internet in 2023, many more will be able to get wi-fi at a very low cost
'20.09.2022'
Nadezhda Verbitskaya
All residents of NYCHA's more than 200 subsidized housing estates will receive free internet access and basic cable TV through the end of 2023. This was announced by New York Mayor Eric Adams at a press conference on September 19, reports Gothamist.
This plan can connect up to 300 New Yorkers to free high-speed internet.
“Something as simple as free Wi-Fi can change a New Yorker's life,” Adams said.
The Adams plan, called Big Apple Connect, will cost taxpayers between $0 and $30 per family per month. But the final price depends on how many people register. So says Brett Sikoff, executive director of the city's newly formed Office of Technology and Innovation.
The city's two cable giants, Charter Communications and Altice, will provide Internet and cable TV services.
The city is also in talks with Verizon, Sikoff said. City Council members expressed concern about the new plan's reliance on these major ISPs. Some of them are the targets of lawsuits for not delivering promised services.
To this, Sikoff said that the city chose the big cable providers because they are already installed in NYCHA buildings. This allows you to quickly and easily connect residents to preferential Internet.
“There is a high demand for services,” he said. “By using existing suppliers, we can help many.”
Read about who and how can connect to Big Apple Connect. here.
On the subject: 5G kiosks will appear in New York: they will distribute the Internet for free
It is unclear what will become of the new program when its original three-year contracts expire.
There is a possibility that the Adams administration will extend it for another year. But after that, residents may have to go back to paying for internet services.
Low-income New Yorkers also have the option to enroll in Accessible Connection Program (Affordable Connectivity Program - ACP), a federal program that subsidizes Internet services. Big Apple Connect members can switch their ACP credit to cover the cost of their monthly mobile plan.
