New York City has announced a $2.4 million capital investment to advance digital equity in disadvantaged communities.
The investment was announced by Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Chief Technology Officer Matthew Fraser. Alongside the announcement, Adams and Fraser also released the NYC Digital Equity Roadmap.
The investment will help New Yorkers access devices and digital literacy skills programming in their communities, including renovating computer labs in libraries and older adult centers. The new roadmap outlines 11 initiatives, including the creation of an interagency Digital Equity Working Group, expanding the city’s New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) mobile computer lab fleet, and the creation of a new chief digital equity officer. The initiatives are intended to meet the immediate needs of under connected New Yorkers.
The roadmap, led by the New York City Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI), incorporates programmatic partnership with the New York City Department of Housing and Preservation Department (HPD), the New York City Department for the Aging, the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Service (DCAS), NYCHA, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, Civic Hall, Queens Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and the New York Public Library (NYPL). The roadmap’s action items are focused on three key categories: access and affordability; devices, digital skills, and support; and coordination and advocacy.
Key action items included in the roadmap are:
Access and Affordability
- Providing targeted connectivity and support to older New Yorkers by retrofitting select older adult centers with updated technology infrastructure to support learning experiences.
- Expanding home access for New Yorkers in affordable and public housing by piloting free wireless internet to Section 8 households.
- Exploring new ways to leverage public assets to provide greater access to home broadband internet, public wi-fi, and other services by issuing calls for ideas, designs, and prototypes.
Devices, Digital Skills, and Support
- Delivering refurbished computers, mobile devices, and other related equipment to eligible organizations in need that will prioritize device access for under-connected communities.
- Investing new capital in public computer centers to address gaps in resources and programming that currently exist, beginning with a set of investments in NYPL branches.
- Expanding tailored technical support in affordable housing communities.
- Expanding the reach of NYCHA’s mobile computer labs by purchasing a new digital van equipped with computer stations and printers.
Coordination and Advocacy
- Establishing a Digital Equity Working Group to create greater cooperation and cohesion for citywide efforts, including advocating for important funding opportunities, supporting information sharing across city agencies, and leveraging new resources to invest in digital equity work.
- Creating a chief digital equity officer position at OTI who will prioritize coordination for funding opportunities and lay the foundation for longer-term planning of digital equity work.
- Conducting a comprehensive assessment of ongoing capital needs for digital equity work to determine where capital investments will yield the biggest impact and commit to fund more projects in the upcoming capital plans.
