NEW YORK CITY (TIP): LinkNYC’s proposal to put high speed WiFi kiosks throughout the City will not by itself eliminate the digital divide, but marks an important step toward bridging that gap. Just as the subways powered New York’s growth in the 20th century, high-speed broadband will drive our City’s economic competitiveness in the 21st century — and we need to make sure all our neighborhoods have the tools to meet that future, said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. That’s why I am happy to vote yes on the LinkNYC proposal before the Franchise and Concession Review Committee today. We took a good contract and we made it better. I want to thank the Administration and Borough Presidents for their diligence and responsiveness in working to make this contract the best that it can be.

Together we were able to ensure the new WiFi system will:

Bring greater equity to boroughs outside Manhattan through a more balanced distribution of 1 gigabit speeds;

Enshrine community consultation in the franchise agreement to ensure meaningful input on the sitting of kiosks;

Strengthen language about tech upgrades during the length of the contract to ensure that New Yorkers continually benefit from cutting-edge security and software upgrades; and

Provide for the regular publication of data to ensure accountability, transparency and performance

As the franchise is implemented, I will continue to use my office’s contract oversight and audit authority to ensure that CityBridge fulfills its promises of fast, free WiFi across all five boroughs.