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Mayor Adams Announces Liberty Link Program to Deliver Free and Low-Cost Wi-Fi to Thousands of Low-Income New Yorkers

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced a new program, Liberty Link, to deliver free and low-cost Wi-Fi to thousands of low-income New Yorkers in affordable housing. The program, a partnership between the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the New York Public Library (NYPL), aims to close the digital divide in New York City and provide essential internet access to those who need it most.

The Liberty Link pilot program will serve nearly 2,200 households across 35 affordable housing buildings in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan. With $3.25 million in funding from HPD, the pilot internet network will provide high-quality internet to the buildings and deploy building-wide Wi-Fi infrastructure. In addition to the internet access, tenants will have access to HPD's "Neighborhood Tech Help" program, a one-on-one digital literacy program launched earlier this year.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Liberty Link program will provide free and low-cost Wi-Fi to nearly 2,200 households across 35 affordable housing buildings in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan.
  • The program is a partnership between the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the New York Public Library (NYPL).
  • The program has $3.25 million in funding from HPD and aims to close the digital divide in New York City.
  • The Liberty Link program builds on the success of Mayor Adams' "Big Apple Connect" program, which has already delivered free access to Wi-Fi to 330,000 NYCHA residents.
  • The program has been designed to be scalable and will be tested for three years to identify the most effective and scalable approaches for a citywide expansion.

Statistics:

  • Nearly 2,200 households will be served by the Liberty Link program across 35 affordable housing buildings in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan.
  • $3.25 million in funding has been allocated for the Liberty Link program from HPD.
  • 35 buildings will be included in the Liberty Link program, with 100% affordable housing across the Bronx and Upper Manhattan.
  • 90% of households in Bronx lack home internet, and 184,000 households lack a computer (according to a study by the Center for an Urban Future).

Sources:

  • New York City Mayor Eric Adams
  • New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)
  • New York Public Library (NYPL)
  • NYC Digital Equity Roadmap
  • Center for an Urban Future
  • Bronx Community College
  • Urban Pathways
  • Comunilife
  • Per Scholas New York
  • NYC.gov

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