A new multi\u2011million\u2011dollar investment is set to bring free, high\u2011speed internet to thousands of Bronx residents, marking one of the largest local efforts yet to close the digital divide.<\/p>\n
City leaders announced a $2 million federal investment to expand the Neighborhood Internet program, an initiative designed to deliver no\u2011cost broadband directly into the homes of low\u2011income families.<\/p>\n
Officials say the need is urgent. One in five Bronx residents still lack reliable internet access, which limits opportunities for work, education and essential online services.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe internet is a basic necessity to be able to participate in this economy,\u201d said Mayor Zohran Mamdani during the announcement. He noted that the new funding will connect 2,000 additional apartments across 50 buildings over the next two years.<\/p>\n
The program is a partnership between the city and the New York Public Library, which will help manage and maintain the service. The expansion focuses on neighborhoods with some of the lowest connectivity rates in New York City. The program also aims to remove cost barriers that have long kept families offline.<\/p>\n
Rep. Ritchie Torres emphasized the broader impact, calling the high cost of broadband a \u201chidden poverty tax\u201d that disproportionately affects Bronx households. He described the expansion as a necessary step toward correcting decades of inequality.<\/p>\n