Mamdani plan aims to bring free internet to 90% of New York public-housing homes by 2028

New York City’s administration has presented a final plan to provide free internet to at least 90% of households in public housing managed by the New York City Housing Authority before 2028.

The proposal forms part of the city’s first Racial Equity Plan. The Office of Technology and Innovation will coordinate efforts to narrow broadband-access gaps, while also expanding free or low-cost services in other affordable housing.

A central tool will be Big Apple Connect, which provides high-speed internet and basic cable television to residents of NYCHA developments. More than 122,000 households in 220 housing complexes had joined the program by May 2025, representing 80% of eligible homes. The city wants to raise that participation rate by at least 10 percentage points.

The technology office will work with NYCHA to promote the program among eligible families. It will also cooperate with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to promote the Neighborhood Internet Program among Section 8 beneficiaries living in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx. The administration plans to encourage enrollment in $15 monthly plans offered under the Affordable Connectivity Act.

About 25% of New York households, or roughly 981,000, lack a residential broadband subscription. The rate is higher among Hispanic, Black and low-income families, as well as older adults. In some neighborhoods, especially in the Bronx and other high-poverty areas, nearly 40% of homes lack a high-speed connection.

The city says internet access affects residents’ ability to search for work, study, obtain medical care and use government services. It will prepare an annual Internet Access and Adoption Plan, with the first version due in May 2027 and later updates planned.