City delivers internet to NYCHA
BY HARRY PARKER
Mayor Bill de Blasio and city offi -
cials announced on July 30 they are
offering high-speed internet access for
up to 10,000 residents in fi ve New York
City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments
in the Bronx.
The announcement is part of the
city’s implementation of the Internet
Master Plan for Universal Broadband.
The city and NYCHA have executed
agreements with vendor Bloc Power to
offer the high-speed internet access.
The developments include Melrose,
East 152 Street-Courtlandt Avenue,
Forest, Morris I, and Morris II. Access
to broadband for residents who sign up
will be free for the fi rst year and $15/
month beyond.
“Building a recovery for all of us
means giving New Yorkers the tools
they need to stay connected, at prices
they can afford,” said de Blasio. “Expanding
access for another 10,000
NYCHA residents will make our city
fairer and more accessible for generations
of New Yorkers, and I’m proud to
see the Internet Master Plan deliver for
communities who need it the most.”
Bloc Power is the sixth fi nalist selected
from the city’s Request for Expressions
of Interest (RFEI) issued in
partnership with the NYC Economic
Development Corporation (EDC) in
June 2020. This effort is part of the
Mayor’s commitment to extend broadband
to New Yorkers in the hardest-hit
communities identifi ed by the Taskforce
on Racial Inclusion and Equity.
The fi rst fi ve licensing agreements
will increase access for up to 30,000
residents, bringing the total number
of residents with increased broadband
options due to the RFEI to up to 40,000.
This RFEI offered an opportunity
for internet service providers, both
large and small, to propose their plans
and partnership ideas to use new access
to NYCHA buildings and facilities.
City offi cials say respondents
proved that when the city offers new
assets – including building common
areas, facades, rooftops, light poles,
and other physical structures that
can be used for broadband installation
– companies will enter the market
with lower-cost service options
that compete with large companies
offering service options to New Yorkers.
In the target neighborhoods, internet
service providers charge
anywhere from $40/month to $110/
month. With this RFEI, vendors will
provide free or low-cost internet service
residents can sign up for no more
than $20/month.
The new broadband service follows
the January 2020, announcement of
the city’s Internet Master Plan, a fi rstin
nation plan that provides the roadmap
to universal broadband in New
York City.
“The pandemic showed us that
broadband access in the 21st century
should not be viewed as a privilege
for a select few that can afford it, but
instead should be a universal right
for all New Yorkers. For many of our
historically underserved communities,
the digital divide persists and is
a constant obstacle to success,” said
City Councilwoman Vaness Gibson,
the Democratic nominee for Bronx
borough president.
-Bronx Times
On July 15-17, OneSight, a leading
global vision care nonprofi t, teamed up
with partners Fresh Air Fund and KIPP
Schools NYC to provide free eye exams
and glasses to 267 kids and adults in the
Bronx. Out of the patients seen, 91%
needed glasses.
The three-day charitable clinic, supported
by a grant from The New York
Community Trust, addressed unresolved
vision care needs for those in the Bronx
who may otherwise lack access to eye exams
and glasses. Most participants in
need of glasses received their newly prescribed
eyewear on-site.
“It was a privilege to connect families
throughout the Bronx with a critical
medical resource – vision care,” said K-T
Overbey, president and executive director,
OneSight. “Eye exams and glasses can be
life changing, yet they are out of reach to
many who lack access. We were proud to
partner with the Fresh Air Fund, KIPP
Schools NYC and dedicated doctors and
volunteers who helped us bring this service
to the community.”
According to a study by OneSight and
Deloitte, there are more than 1 billion people
globally who need glasses, but don’t
have access to get them. Studies show that
clear sight can dramatically impact learning,
job performance and earning potential.
Clear sight can help students learn up
to twice as much in school and can help increase
a worker’s productivity by 35% and
enable them to earn 20% more.
-Bronx Times
Free eye exams, glasses provided to kids
Bronx children who received free eye exams and or glasses courtesy of One Sight, the Fresh Air Fun and Kipp NYC.
Photos courtesy of One Sight
BRONX TIMES R 22 EPORTER, AUG. 6-12, 2021 BTR