New York nixes Internet Master Plan based on new fiber

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D-NY) has suspended the city’s Internet Master Plan, creating uncertainty for New Yorkers waiting for fiber broadband and also for the vendors tapped to deploy fiber and deliver service. T-Mobile, Starry and Flume were among the 12 companies named by former Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NY) when he announced the $157 million plan in 2021. At that time, Mayor de Blasio said the plan would incentivize high-quality affordable internet at scale and help reverse New York’s digital divide. He wanted to let providers use city-owned real estate to deploy infrastructure and offer service to New Yorkers at discounted rates. Mayor Adams, who was sworn in a year ago, has apparently shifted the city’s focus to subsidizing end users of internet services, and to educating people about the availability of broadband. For now, the city’s leaders seem focused on making sure more people who have access to broadband can afford to purchase it. The city’s Office of Technology and Innovation is subsidizing up to 100% of the cost of internet for residents of select New York City Housing Authority buildings in all five boroughs.