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Q&A
OTI's approach to long-term broadband infrastructure investments
1:12:52
·
74 sec
Brett Sikoff explains OTI's rationale for focusing on Big Apple Connect instead of investing in new broadband infrastructure. He argues that existing infrastructure is sufficient and that investing in new infrastructure would be redundant.
- Sikoff states that there is already significant broadband infrastructure available in the city
- OTI decided against investing in potentially redundant infrastructure
- The focus is on connecting people immediately through Big Apple Connect rather than long-term infrastructure projects
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:12:52
Okay.
1:12:53
So what long term investments is the city making today in broadband infrastructure or sustainable affordability?
Brett Sikoff
1:13:00
Yeah.
1:13:00
I mean, really goes back to the the genesis of Big Apple Connect.
1:13:03
I'm not gonna belabor the point of what Big Apple Connect does, but that's the reason why we went in that direction because there is in 2020, certainly in 2022 and for sure now in 2025, there is a ton of broadband infrastructure in the city in terms of the availability of it.
1:13:22
We didn't think it was a good investment of city dollars, of limited city resources to invest in what could be perceived as redundant, unnecessary infrastructure.
1:13:33
It's not to say it wasn't for a good intent.
1:13:35
You know, just as you acknowledge Big Apple Connect has has great intent and has ensured that hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers are connected.
1:13:43
With respect to the Internet Master Plan, there was no guarantee that this investment of city dollars, private dollars over many, many years would yield the results that we are seeing with Big Apple Connect.
1:13:54
There's just there's too many unknowns.
1:13:57
And based on that, that's the reason why we went with Big Apple Connect and a lot of these very important digital equity programs that