The Bronx just landed a $2 million federal boost to drag more of its affordable housing into the high-speed era. On Monday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres rolled out the cash infusion, which will expand the city’s Neighborhood Internet program from a small pilot to building-wide broadband and in-unit hookups that officials say will reach thousands of low-income households in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan over the next two years. The New York Public Library is stepping in as a key partner, handling installation support and on-the-ground help for tenants at the buildings chosen for the rollout.
What the funding will do
The $2 million comes from Fiscal Year 2026 Community Project Funding secured by Rep. Ritchie Torres. The money will pay for microtrenching, rooftop network gear and in-unit connections in dozens of buildings across the South Bronx, according to Rep. Ritchie Torres' office. The release says the funding will underwrite infrastructure for more than 2,000 units, and notes that tenants at 355 East 165th Street joined officials for the announcement, which city leaders framed as a long-overdue fix for families who have been effectively stuck offline.
City frames it as a digital-equity push
“Internet access allows New Yorkers to access jobs, find no-cost child care and explore the city they love,” Mayor Mamdani said at the event, calling the expansion a major step toward closing the digital gap. The city’s press release says the initial Neighborhood Internet pilot, funded by HPD, is expected to serve more than 700 low-income households in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan by this summer, with the new federal money helping extend service to thousands more across the borough over the following two years, according to the NYC Mayor's Office. Officials also linked the effort to the broader NYC Digital Equity Roadmap and a forthcoming Citywide Broadband Adoption Plan.
How this builds on earlier pilots
This latest move builds on last summer’s "Liberty Link" pilot, which set out to bring building-wide Wi-Fi to roughly 2,200 affordable units in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan and to expand the city’s internet work beyond NYCHA developments. That early rollout was reported in coverage of the first phase, and officials say the new federal investment will let them shift from a handful of test sites to a broader, federally backed scale-up centered in the Bronx.
Library role and local hubs
The New York Public Library will operate and maintain the service inside participating buildings and use nearby branches to support backhaul, outreach and digital-literacy help, according to the library’s local branch pages. Melrose Library at 910 Morris Avenue has recently reopened and is positioned to support pilot installations near St. John’s House II, according to the New York Public Library. Officials say combining free connections with library-led training is meant to ensure residents can actually use the service in meaningful ways instead of just having a signal in the hallway.
What residents should expect
Officials say the Neighborhood Internet pilot is on track to reach more than 700 households by this summer. The $2 million will cover microtrenching work, rooftop installations and in-unit hookups across more than 50 buildings in the Bronx over two years, ultimately delivering free broadband to thousands of apartments, according to the NYC Mayor's Office and local coverage. For updates on which buildings are included and who qualifies, officials are directing residents to HPD and NYPL channels, while on-the-ground reporting has surfaced in PIX11 and the congressman’s office.
