Earlier this week, Mayor Eric Adams, NYPL and HPD announced ‘Liberty Link,’ a new pilot program to provide free and low-cost WiFi to low-income New Yorkers in Section 8 and other affordable housing buildings. The program will build upon Adams’ ‘Big Apple Connect’ that’s already delivered free Wi-Fi to 330,000 NYCHA residents.
Thanks to $3.25 million in funding from HPD, the network will span 35 affordable housing buildings in both the Bronx and Upper Manhattan. NYPL will establish building-wide Wi-Fi infrastructure with fiber internet. Liberty Link will provide 2,200 households with access to high-quality Wi-Fi at little to no cost.
Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrión, Jr. said:
Access to reliable, high-speed internet is a fundamental necessity in today’s world. With ‘Liberty Link,’ we are extending the reach of our digital equity work to ensure that more New Yorkers, regardless of income or zip code, can fully participate in our economy and society…This program is about ensuring equal opportunity and creating a more connected and inclusive city.
Liberty Link will be a three year program. Various models and technologies will be tested and analyzed throughout its duration to identify the most effective route for a citywide expansion. Service to high-quality Wi-Fi will launch by the end of the year, with network design and procurement underway this summer.
“Whether it’s finding a job, filling a prescription, or applying for child care, the internet is no longer a luxury; it’s an essential service,” said Mayor Eric Adams. Liberty Link “will help more working-class New Yorkers save on the cost of this vital service, put money back into their pockets, and deliver, once again, on our commitment to create a more affordable city for working-class families.”
Affordable housing buildings impacted by Liberty Link include properties owned by non-profit housing providers such as Comunilife, JASA, Lantern Community Services, Lutheran Social Services, PIBLY Residential Programs, Services for the Underserved, and Urban Pathways, many of which have residents facing obstacles in getting online.
In addition to little to no-cost Wi-Fi, these tenants can utilize Neighborhood Tech Help, an HPD program to strengthen New Yorkers’ digital literacy.
Learn more details about Liberty Link on the city’s website.