NYC Mayor’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer Issues Request for Information on Citywide Broadband Deployment

The City of New York's Mayor’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer released a Request for Information (RFI) to gather input from industry experts to inform the City's implementation plan for universal broadband. Universal broadband refers to the City’s goal to connect every resident and business with affordable, reliable, high speed internet service by 2025, as stated in One New York: The Plan for a Strong and Just City.  The results of the RFI can be used to shape a more formal request for proposals or other measures to help the City achieve its goal. New York City has a history of being ambitious and forward-thinking in infrastructure, and the City is open to creative solutions that will maximize public benefit and private investment, and provide reliable, high-quality services to meet community needs. The RFI lays out five principles to guide the City's broadband investments and partnerships: Performance, Affordability, Equity, Choice and Privacy. The request poses questions about network architecture, use of City assets, deployment and construction, business parameters and partnership opportunities, and standards, policies and performance indicators. Currently, one in five New Yorkers do not have internet in the home, a figure that goes to one in three for New Yorkers living in poverty. The RFI builds on the launch of NYCx and the Governors Island Connectivity Challenge to further attract industry experts and allow them to provide input on how the City can develop successful models for deploying broadband through testing and deployment of solutions on Governors Island. The Challenge has received over 20 proposals which are under review. Finalists will be awarded in early 2018.