Affordable Broadband & Franchise Agreements
Course: Digital Equity Lab, School of Public Engagement - New School
Technological development is radically changing how we receive and share information, how we interact with one another, what jobs we are creating, and even how our major institutions, like government, function. From "smart cities" to applications for artificial intelligence, society is in the midst of a paradigmatic shift. Digital Equity is a critical social justice issue of central importance to cities. It requires ensuring that everyone in our society has equal access to technology tools, but also that communities can consider these implications for their development and inclusion and that regulators consider their implications for driving solutions to social problems. Through discussions with City government officials and local and non-profit community leaders, students will develop a set of questions on digital equity to answer and submit to the Mayor's Office and elected leaders to shape strategies for digital inclusion at the local level.
Role
Co-Researcher
Co-Designer
Date
Fall 2018
Team
Anjali Bhalodia
Weston Finfer
Problem
The unequal distribution of affordable, high-speed, and reliable internet access which is tied to race, geographic location, and socioeconomic factors.
Proposal
Our proposal is for the city to provide affordable home internet service to NYCHA developments through expanded mesh networks and city-owned dark fiber.
Franchise Agreements
Franchise agreements provide the structure that allow for ISP’s to play their infrastructure (fiber) into the City owned public infrastructure (under roads, etc).
A franchise agreement is primarily negotiated by the City and an ISP and is the underlying contract that gives ISP’s the ability to provide a broadband subscription.
There are additional influences from the government at the Federal and State levels. Once a franchise agreement is settled, it is approved by the State and the Franchise Concession and Agreement Committee.
