Settlement With Verizon to Bring Low-cost Internet to Every NYC Neighborhood

New York - A deal signed a dozen years ago to bring affordable internet service to low income neighborhoods in New York City will finally be enforced.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday that under a settlement, Verizon had agreed to expand its FiOS footprint to 500,000 additional households, making high-speed fiber broadband available to more New Yorkers. The agreement ensures that every apartment in a New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) project will have internet access, as well as two dozen additional underserved areas.

Some of those areas include Boro Park, Midwood, Kensington and Crown Heights.

Large portions of New York City are currently serviced by just one cable and broadband provider, Optimum Online, effectively creating a monopoly that risks lower speeds and higher costs. Under the settlement, Verizon is compelled to prioritize the least-connected Community Districts and ensure connectivity for every NYCHA residential building.

“Internet access is an economic right in New York City, no matter your ZIP code," de Blasio said in a statement. "Tech giants will not stand in our way to deliver high-quality broadband to New Yorkers – they must be a part of the solution.”

At a minimum, Verizon will make connections available to 125,000 additional households in these Community Districts, which means that if a resident requests paid FiOS service, Verizon will be required to make it available generally within seven days.

The terms of the settlement call for Verizon to report quarterly on their progress, and the City will make public the list of newly eligible households that were previously ineligible for FiOS or broadband service.