Just under a million low-income families in New York City may soon lose access to high-speed internet due to the impending expiration of a federal program.
Nearly a million New Yorkers registered for the federal Affordable Connectivity Program before its funding ran out in April, according to data provided by the Center for an Urban Future. For consumers that met the income requirements, the program gave internet service providers including Verizon, Spectrum, and Optimum a monthly credit.
According to the data, Long Island City, which is home to the biggest public housing complex in the nation, East Harlem, and a huge portion of the South Bronx, were the areas where the federal subsidy program was most popular. Prior to the program’s commencement in 2021, the latter two had some of the lowest rates of internet connection in the whole city, according to statistics gathered by the City Council. Under the government initiative, cheap internet was provided to almost two-thirds of the homes in East Harlem and the South Bronx – equivalent to around 44% of all families in the Bronx.
While many experts believe that having access to broadband is essential to escape poverty and obtaining an education, the fees frequently prevent those who most need it from using it. In 2021, around 25% of the approximately 8.5 million homes in New York City did not have internet access, and almost 50% of the city’s poorest residents did not have broadband.
“The reality is that for those nearly 1 million households, if they want to preserve their high-speed internet service, they’re going to have to dig deeper into their own pockets,” Center for an Urban Future Editorial and Policy Director Eli Dvorkin told The Gothamist. “That’s going to be really tough.”
According to the city’s most recent housing census, nine out of ten New Yorkers who make less than $25,000 a year pay at least half of their income on rent. Furthermore, a 2023 assessment from the United Way of New York City states that half of all households in the city cannot afford basic necessities without aid.
“High speed internet is the portal to almost every opportunity that exists out there today,” Dvorkin said. “It would be a real detriment to New Yorkers in general and to New York City’s opportunity agenda if we lose that access.”
Internet service providers will either terminate internet service for clients who are unable to pay once funding expires or provide a reduced cost.
According to Verizon spokeswoman Caroline Brooks, certain low-income consumers will still be eligible for cheap internet service. Internet service provider Altice is offering a $15 monthly plan to New Yorkers who receive various types of financial help, according to Erin Smyth, a spokesman for Altice, the parent company of Optimum.
Spectrum’s website has warned clients that their costs would increase once their credit expires and invites them to “urge the government to take action.” In addition, the business is providing a $30 mobile line discount, according to Spectrum spokesman Don Kaplan, and pointing clients toward other programs for which they could be eligible.
