NYC Looks to Narrow the Digital Divide Through Latest Initiative; Unveils Next Steps

The digital divide remains a consistent obstacle for many New Yorkers -- one that has only seemed to intensify during the pandemic, when many are forced to work from home and children have to attend school remotely.

With this in mind, Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled the next steps in the city's efforts to obtain affordable and universal broadband by specifically tackling the digital inequity within the five boroughs, particularly among the 33 neighborhoods hardest hit by the pandemic.

The mayor also announced the city will accelerate the buildout of 5G by making an unprecedented 7,500 city street poles available for mobile carriers to build out their networks, mainly in underserved areas.

"Affordable and quality broadband, that is what is going to make a difference in people’s lives. That is what is going to make a difference in their economic opportunities, in their educational opportunities...One of the things we have to do is take a very big step into 5G," Mayor Bill de Blasio said during his coronavirus press briefing, before proclaiming "2021 is going to be the year of 5G in New York City."

According to the mayor, the city has the power to "ensure equity, which is why we are focusing in expansion of 5G into so many neighborhoods that have been the hardest hit by COVID – the 33 neighborhoods that our task force on Racial Inclusion and Equity has identified as the areas that have experienced historic disparity and were hardest hit by COVID."

De Blasio went on to add: "We are going to make sure that 5G is focused, everywhere of course, but on the neighborhoods that were hardest hit and need equity first."

Additionally, the city will also "be pushing the companies and monitoring the companies involved to ensure that they utilize the efforts of minority and women owned businesses that they hire from local communities. That they do the kinds of things that will actually create economic fairness and that they publicly report what they are doing."

With a $157 million capital investment, New York City is releasing a Request for Proposals, inviting the telecommunications industry to create new affordable broadband service options through a coordinated system of access of up to 100,000 City assets, prioritizing areas identified by the Task Force on Racial Inclusion and Equity.

"We are also investing $157 million in affordable internet access and that’s going to allow us to reach 600,000 more New Yorkers, including a lot of folks who have been excluded because of where they live, because of who they are, and that will include -- and I am very proud of this -- 200,000 more public housing residents will now have access to affordable internet because of this initiative," the mayor said.

"Recovery for all means everyone having the same opportunity to participate. It means everyone having affordable broadband. It means more and more people getting access to the latest, which is 5G. It also means more jobs as we intensify the presence of 5G in New York City as part of our economic comeback. Making us competitive in the world. We have to have the latest technology to be competitive to bring back our economy strong," de Blasio said.