Big Apple Connect Extended for Three Years
On September 29, Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Matthew Fraser announced the three-year extension of ‘Big Apple Connect’ — the nation’s largest municipally subsidized broadband program — ensuring 330,000 residents across 220 NYCHA sites continue to receive uninterrupted, free high-speed internet and basic cable TV access through June 2028. The extension also includes $1.2 million in new funding from Optimum and Spectrum for digital literacy programming at libraries across the five boroughs and the creation of a new online hub that will provide virtual training sessions to NYCHA residents. First launched in September 2022 by Mayor Adams, Big Apple Connect is a critical piece of the Adams administration’s efforts to make the city more affordable and bridge the digital divide. The program saves subscribed households an average of more than $1,700 annually.
“By keeping 330,000 NYCHA residents connected through free high-speed broadband and cable, we’re sending a clear message: every New Yorker deserves affordable, reliable internet. Internet is not a luxury, it’s as a necessity in today’s world,” said Mayor Adams. “With this three-year extension of ‘Big Apple Connect,’ adding $1.2 million for digital literacy programs in our libraries, and launching a new webpage with virtual training sessions, we’re doing even more to bridge the digital divide and empower families with the tools they need to thrive. This extension will continue to save NYCHA households an average of more than $1,700 a year, make our city more affordable, and move us closer to a more connected and equitable New York City.”
“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,” said CTO Fraser. “Today’s three-year extension ensures more than 330,000 public housing residents will continue to have uninterrupted access to free high-speed internet and basic cable TV — reaffirming the Adams administration’s longstanding commitments to making the city more affordable and bridging the digital divide. We’re also excited to announce expanded digital literacy programming, courtesy of new investments by our corporate partners Spectrum and Optimum, that will help residents in historically underconnected communities learn how to get the most out of their time online. I credit Mayor Adams for his vision and leadership in making Big Apple Connect possible, and thank Spectrum and Optimum for their continued partnership.”
“NYCHA is dedicated to enhancing services and advancing equitable access to essential modern resources for residents,” said NYCHA Chief Operating Officer Eva Trimble. “We are grateful to the NYC Office of Technology and Innovation and all of our City partners for programs that contribute to substantial improvements to the quality of life for NYCHA residents.”
Big Apple Connect provides more residents with free home internet access than any other city in the nation. Prior to the program’s creation three years ago, an estimated 30 to 40 percent of NYCHA residents lacked broadband, according to internet service providers. The launch of Big Apple Connect started with 100 NYCHA sites in September 2022, expanded to more than 200 sites within the first year of the program’s creation, and is now available to 150,000 households, or approximately 330,000 NYCHA residents, at 220 developments.
As part of the new three-year agreement, the NYC Office of Technology and Innovation will continue to be billed directly for all residents enrolled in Big Apple Connect. This new deal also features additional funding from the two service providers for digital literacy programming. The contributions are expected to include additional resources for all of the City’s library system’s Neighborhood Tech Help, a digital advocacy program that offers free, easy-to-access one-on-one tech support for New Yorkers. Additionally, a new online digital literacy hub is being created to help NYCHA residents use the internet services provided by Big Apple Connect more effectively. This site will include virtual skills trainings on how to use basic internet software, apply for jobs, and create resumes. New Yorkers can view a full list of Big Apple Connect-eligible NYCHA developments online.