New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Matthew Fraser announced the citywide launch of Big Apple Connect.
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That is a landmark digital equity program that will make free high-speed internet and basic cable TV available to approximately 300,000 New Yorkers living in more than 200 New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments by the end of 2023.
Mayor Adams and CTO Fraser announced the program — initially piloted at eight public housing developments across the five boroughs, and which has now been expanded to more than 100 developments — at NYCHA’s Langston Hughes Houses in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
Big Apple Connect will provide residents of NYCHA developments a free bundle that consists of in-home, high-speed internet connection, including a modem and router; basic cable TV service, including a cable box and remote control; and common area Wi-Fi hotspots, selected in consultation with NYCHA.
After requesting proposals earlier this year from existing New York City cable TV franchisees, the city entered into three-year agreements with Altice (Optimum) and Charter (Spectrum), which will collectively cover the majority of developments owned and managed by NYCHA.
The city is continuing to negotiate with Verizon as a possible third franchisee.
OTI will be billed directly for all residents enrolled in ‘Big Apple Connect’ for the three-year term.
NYCHA residents will not be billed anything for these services. Existing customers of Optimum and Spectrum living in NYCHA developments where ‘Big Apple Connect’ is active will be automatically enrolled in the program and will only be billed for additional services they choose to purchase directly.
Residents will receive email notifications and mailers explaining why their bills were lowered, as well as information on ‘Big Apple Connect.’
Residents without existing service will have the opportunity to sign up directly though Spectrum or Optimum or may attend on-site enrollment events conducted by the companies in partnership with OTI.
An estimated 30 to 40 percent of NYCHA residents lack broadband, according to cable service providers. Once its rollout is complete, ‘Big Apple Connect’ is projected to be the largest municipal program to cover the cost of internet for public housing residents in the nation.
NYCHA residents enrolled in ‘Big Apple Connect’ will also be able to use the federal Affordable Connectivity Program benefit to save money on their cell phone bills.
The Affordable Connectivity Program provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet or cellular data service for eligible households and is limited to one monthly service discount per month.
The site of Mayor Adams’ announcement today — Langston Hughes Houses — has served as one of eight select pilot sites, where best practices on community engagement and promotion were assessed. Since the pilot’s debut last month at Langston Hughes, more than 200 existing customers of Optimum have been automatically converted and 120 new subscribers have been added. Nearly 350 Langston Hughes units — or approximately two-thirds of households at the development — are already enrolled in Big Apple Connect.
In addition to the Langston Hughes Houses in Brooklyn, the other pilot sites in the five boroughs included: