Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.

Q&A

Comparison of Big Apple Connect to the Internet Master Plan

1:11:37

·

75 sec

Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez questions Brett Sikoff about the comparison between the $2 billion budgeted for the Internet Master Plan and the current Big Apple Connect program. They discuss the differences in funding sources, timeframes, and potential outcomes of both approaches.

  • Gutiérrez points out that the $2 billion for the Internet Master Plan was not all city funding and would have been spent over years
  • Sikoff acknowledges that the initial investment for the Internet Master Plan was $157 million
  • The conversation highlights the differences in scope and approach between the two programs
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:11:37
In a recent interview with city and state, commissioner Frazier said that $2,000,000,000 budgeted $2,000,000,000 budgeted for the Internet master plan was too much money.
1:11:48
But if we break it down, he said that for a fraction the cost of the $2,000,000,000 program, OTI provides connectivity to over 330,000 people in the city.
1:11:59
If the city continues Big Apple Connect at its current rate, $38,000,000 per year, like we said before, The city will have spent roughly 2,000,000,000 in twenty two years.
1:12:09
That's 2,000,000,000 with no capital investment, no citywide infrastructure, and service limited only to NYCHA, to public housing.
1:12:18
Meanwhile, the Internet master plan proposed using 2,000,000,000 over potential decades to build a citywide public private broadband infrastructure that could scale, deliver long term affordability.
1:12:31
Just to clarify, are you aware that the 2,000,000,000 cited in the Internet master plan was not all city funding and would have been over years?
Brett Sikoff
1:12:38
I believe that's the case.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:12:40
Yeah.
1:12:41
And it included private investment and that the first investment was just that initial 157,000,000.
Brett Sikoff
1:12:48
Right.
1:12:48
And I believe there was more to come, but yes.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:12:50
That's right.
Brett Sikoff
1:12:51
Initially 157.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:12:52
Okay.
Citymeetings.nyc pigeon logo

Is citymeetings.nyc useful to you?

I'm thrilled!

Please help me out by answering just one question.

What do you do?

Thank you!

Want to stay up to date? Sign up for the newsletter.