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Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez's opening remarks on NYC's broadband strategy
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Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez, chair of the committee on technology, delivers opening remarks for an oversight hearing on New York City's broadband strategy. She expresses concerns about the lack of a long-term plan for digital equity, questions the shelving of the Internet Master Plan, and introduces a legislative package aimed at expanding broadband access and transparency.
- Gutiérrez emphasizes the importance of accountability and the need for a comprehensive broadband strategy.
- She highlights the digital divide exposed during the pandemic and its severe consequences for communities.
- The council member introduces several bills, including Intro 1122, which would require the city to develop a long-term broadband plan similar to the Internet Master Plan.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
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Good morning, and welcome.
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I'm council member Jennifer Gutierrez, chair of the committee on technology.
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Thank you all for joining us today's oversight hearing on the city's broadband strategy.
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When I asked to chair this committee before I was even sworn in, people were surprised because my background is not in tech.
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It is in housing.
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It is in organizing.
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It is in immigration, but not tech.
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And during the pandemic, district thirty four, like so many communities, were cut off.
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Families without broadband couldn't access school, jobs, or basic services.
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The digital divide wasn't just real.
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It was violent in its consequences.
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So I just wanna be very clear that we are not here to question OTI's commitment to digital equity.
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I believe that you all have staff and there are public servants working hard to close that gap.
0:01:41
But this hearing is about accountability because after years of promises, we still don't have a long term plan.
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My team reviewed every transcript from every single hearing since I've become chair in 2022.
0:01:53
This committee was promised over 10 times that a comprehensive strategy would be shared, some with timelines under a year.
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It's 2025, and we are still waiting.
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Meanwhile, the Internet master plan was shelved without public explanation, a plan developed with dozens of partners praised globally and designed to build long term infrastructure and affordability.
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In its place, we've seen no roadmap, little transparency, and $40,000,000 a year going to two major cable companies.
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I'm not knocking 330,000 people getting free internet, but that is a short term expensive solution and we have to walk and chew gum at the same time.
0:02:31
I believe we can do both.
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This committee wants to know what has been built, what is planned, and what is the city doing to connect all New Yorkers, not just public housing residents, but the millions of people still left behind.
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How are we innovating service delivery?
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We're also considering a legislative package that includes intros four eighty one, four 80 three, four 80 six, which expands support for community broadband access, intro eight seventy eight, which increases transparency in cable franchise agreements, and as well as two of my own bills, intro one ninety eight which improves reporting on discounted Internet programs, and intro eleven twenty two resurrecting the Internet master plan which would require the city to develop a real long term broadband plan much like the Internet master plan.
0:03:17
I want to thank the tech committee staff, policy analyst Eric Brown, legislative counsel Irene Bayosky, and my chief of staff Anya Lair, legislative associate Victoria Peters, and our legislative fellow, Joes Mary Ochoa Cruz, for their work to prepare for today's hearing.
0:03:33
I wanna recognize members of the technology committee who have joined us today, council member Bob Holden, and I'm sure more will be trickling in.
0:03:44
And we're gonna start we're gonna pass it over to council member Bob Holden who has a statement.