Mayor Zohran Mamdani and U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres announced a $2 million federal investment to expand free high-speed internet access for low-income New Yorkers on Monday, scaling up the city’s Neighborhood Internet program across The Bronx and Upper Manhattan.
The expansion builds on an initial pilot funded by the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), which is expected to bring free, high-speed internet to roughly 700 households in The Bronx and Upper Manhattan by this summer.
With the new federal funding secured by Torres, the program is set to reach thousands more residents over the next two years.
The Bronx has some of the lowest broadband adoption rates in New York City, with roughly one in three households lacking a computer and more than 113,000 households relying solely on a smartphone for home internet access, according to a 2025 report by the policy think tank Center for an Urban Future.
“Internet access allows New Yorkers to access jobs, find no-cost child care, and explore the city they love. But for too many, broadband connection is either unreliable or unattainable,” said Mayor Mamdani.
“With this $2 million investment in the Neighborhood Internet program for New Yorkers in affordable housing, this administration is taking a major step towards closing the digital gap and building a city that is connected in more ways than one.”
City officials, including Mamdani, Rep. Torres, and officials from the New York Public Library and HPD, announced the expansion at St. John’s House II, an affordable housing development near the Melrose Library in The Bronx where Neighborhood Internet was recently installed.
The $2 million, secured by Rep. Torres through federal Fiscal Year 2026 Community Project Funding, will fund infrastructure upgrades including microtrenching, rooftop network equipment installation, dedicated internet access systems and in-unit connectivity across approximately 50 buildings, reaching thousands of homes.
Launched in 2025, the Neighborhood Internet program brings free, high-speed internet to low-income communities in The Bronx and Upper Manhattan—areas with some of the lowest broadband access rates in New York City. The program is implemented and managed by NYPL, while the network itself is owned by HPD and the city.
Officials said HPD and NYPL are working closely to refine the pilot, test new technologies, and develop a model that can be implemented citywide.
“When affordable housing gets built in the city, residents should be connected to the internet,” said Dina Levy, Commissioner of HPD. “Forty percent of households in The Bronx do not have home internet access. The Neighborhood Internet initiative will help bridge the digital divide, providing low-income tenants in The Bronx with free access to the internet.”
“Thank you to Congressman Torres for securing the federal funding that makes this possible, and to NYPL for their partnership in expanding internet access across the city. Under Mayor Mamdani, we’re making sure affordable housing tenants are first to get connected.”
Reach Marina Samuel at msamuel@schnepsmedia.com. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
