{"id":302,"date":"2025-04-29T15:26:56","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T15:26:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/?p=302"},"modified":"2025-06-23T16:10:55","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T16:10:55","slug":"chair-gutierrez-grills-oti-over-lack-of-broadband-strategy-demands-real-investment-beyond-big-apple-connect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/2025\/04\/29\/chair-gutierrez-grills-oti-over-lack-of-broadband-strategy-demands-real-investment-beyond-big-apple-connect\/","title":{"rendered":"CHAIR GUTI\u00c9RREZ GRILLS OTI OVER LACK OF BROADBAND STRATEGY, DEMANDS REAL INVESTMENT BEYOND BIG APPLE CONNECT"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>After 2.5+ years, the Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI) still cannot fully explain&nbsp;why it abandoned Mayor de Blasio\u2019s Internet Master Plan \u2014 a plan designed to deliver universal, affordable broadband through public investment \u2014 in favor of a program with no long-term vision.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>New York, NY<\/strong> <strong>(Tuesday April 29, 2025)<\/strong>\u2014At today\u2019s City Council oversight hearing, OTI confirmed what many have feared: the City still has no long-term broadband plan, no infrastructure investment strategy, and no public RFP or contract disclosure for its $38 million-a-year Big Apple Connect program (which is not currently funded in the FY26 budget, let alone baselined). When Council Member Guti\u00e9rrez walked OTI through the phases of the Internet Master Plan, it was made clear that many of the ideas they are now touting through the Digital Equity Plan \u2014 including the HPD Section 8 pilot with Flume \u2014 are identical to elements of the Master Plan they previously delayed and ultimately unceremoniously canceled.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Facing pointed questions, OTI confirmed:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>No cost-benefit analysis&nbsp;<\/strong>was ever conducted comparing long-term infrastructure investment to the current BAC model, which will cost the City $2 billion over 20 years \u2014 with no public ownership of assets.<\/li>\n<li><strong>There are no plans to address affordability for non-NYCHA residents<\/strong>, despite repeatedly claiming they were exploring \u201cexpansion.\u201d RAD\/PACT developments are not included in their expansion plans, despite previous statements suggesting they exploring expanding Big Apple Connect to these developments as recently as March 2025.<\/li>\n<li><strong>There are no plans to invest in new or shared broadband infrastructure<\/strong>&nbsp;beyond what independent state programs have funded; OTI explicitly rejected the premise that public infrastructure is necessary for long-term affordability and said there is no need for new infrastructure.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The City intentionally limited its broadband bid to major cable providers,<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; referring to it as a \u201cminibid\u201d which excluding smaller ISPs with the Cable requirement \u2014 and could not explain why cable was required in the RFP in the first place.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cNew York City deserves a real plan \u2014 not endless excuses,\u201d&nbsp;<strong>said Council Member Jennifer Guti\u00e9rrez, Chair of the Technology Committee.<\/strong>&nbsp;\u201cInstead of building a sustainable future, this administration chose short-term subsidies that leave us dependent on private cable monopolies with a hefty price tag, and no long-term planning. We need to create something that lasts beyond any Council Member, beyond any Mayor, beyond ego. Abandoning the Internet Master Plan without transparency or community input &#8211; and with no plan in place &#8211; was disingenuous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Council will continue to push for transparency, investment, and a broadband future that puts New Yorkers first.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">###<\/p>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<p><em>Please see relevant timestamps below, this is a selection and you can review the<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=t_2nZ2W730k&amp;ab_channel=NYCCouncil\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>&nbsp;full video here.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Throughout the hearing, Council Member Guti\u00e9rrez pressed OTI officials on their failure to provide transparency or long-term planning. At&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/t_2nZ2W730k?t=1357\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>22:40<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em>, you can find questioning about the RFP and Contract process, which has been opaque and with documents withheld for years.&nbsp; At&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/t_2nZ2W730k?t=2900\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>48:20<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em>, OTI showed no clear intention to expand the program to RAD\/PACT developments. From&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=t_2nZ2W730k&amp;ab_channel=NYCCouncil\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>52:10<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em>, they explicitly stated there are no plans to expand Big Apple Connect, despite vague references to \u201cseeing where it benefits.\u201d At&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/t_2nZ2W730k?t=3600\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>1:01<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em>, OTI confirmed that residents would face a sharp increase in payments if the program ends.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>At&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/t_2nZ2W730k?t=4400\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>1:13:20<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em>, Guti\u00e9rrez asked whether the City had ever conducted a cost-benefit analysis comparing the BAC model to the original Internet Master Plan\u2019s infrastructure strategy \u2014 a $2B investment over 20 years. OTI could not produce one. Starting at&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/t_2nZ2W730k?t=4440\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>1:14:00<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em>&nbsp;for about 5 minutes, she presses on what the future plans are beyond Big Apple Connect.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>At&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/t_2nZ2W730k?t=1910\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>31:50<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>and again at&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/t_2nZ2W730k?t=4704\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>1:18:24<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em>, she pushed OTI to explain why the City required cable bundling in its contract \u2014 a decision that excluded smaller ISPs. At&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/t_2nZ2W730k?t=5776\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>1:36:16<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em>, she raised concerns about the City\u2019s critiques of the original Internet Master Plan and, at&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/t_2nZ2W730k?t=5910\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>1:38:30<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em>, asked whether an internal evaluation was ever done, going on to express disappointment that no documentation exists to justify the plan\u2019s abandonment.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>In her closing remarks at&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/t_2nZ2W730k?t=7092\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>1:58:12<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em>, Guti\u00e9rrez called for a broadband strategy that outlives any single administration or political ego. And at&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/t_2nZ2W730k?t=7235\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>2:00:35<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em>, she emphasized the value of the Internet Master Plan and the hundreds of community stakeholders who contributed to it \u2014 contrasting that legacy with the current administration\u2019s refusal to act on it.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>After 2.5+ years, the Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI) still cannot fully explain&nbsp;why it abandoned Mayor de Blasio\u2019s Internet Master Plan \u2014 a plan designed to deliver universal, affordable broadband through public investment \u2014 in favor of a program with no long-term vision.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>New York, NY<\/strong> <strong>(Tuesday April 29, 2025)<\/strong>\u2014At today\u2019s City Council oversight hearing, OTI confirmed what many have feared: the City still has no long-term broadband plan, no infrastructure investment strategy, and no public RFP or contract disclosure for its $38 million-a-year Big Apple Connect program (which is not currently funded in the FY26 budget, let alone baselined).<\/p>\n<p>&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><strong><small><a href=\"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/2025\/04\/29\/chair-gutierrez-grills-oti-over-lack-of-broadband-strategy-demands-real-investment-beyond-big-apple-connect\/\">READ MORE<\/a><\/small><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":232,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[185,191,184,71,183],"tags":[25,172,52,15,171],"class_list":["post-302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ai","category-internet","category-nyc","category-tech","category-tech-committee","tag-committee-on-technology","tag-internet","tag-nyc","tag-oti","tag-tech"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/302","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/232"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=302"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/302\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=302"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=302"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/jennifer-gutierrez\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}