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In New York CityThe visibility of free, high speed and society’s Internet was more than just one sleep. This People’s selection communicationAn internet cooperative, an employee and society, launched in 2020 and due to subsidies Affordable Contact ProgramSuccessfully offered fast, Cheap Internet in Bronx ACP was still active.
“No one believed that we can actually build the system.”
Decision of the city to exclude cooperation Great Apple Connect program In the choice of people, he caused significant personnel reduction and put the organization under the risk of closing. Again, the CO-OP story is the impossible and rare tale of broadband links in the United States, which began in the United States Spectrum Employees who are on vacation in 2017.
Building from the ground
In 2017 1,800 spectrum workers appeared Due to the requirements of joint-stock communication and pension benefits, after the charters, the purchase of the notice of the warning cable for the previous year (caused the creation of a spectrum brand). These surprising workers decided to get their own hands and their own hands, and intend to prioritize capital on profit.
Spectrum workers on the 2017 strike.
“Instead, Ceos, etc. Said,” said Walcott, “This profit helps to reconstruct the system to help them serve to serve in the control of a serious profit motive.”
The model is simple: Employees and subscribers have mutual support. People’s choice builds and protects the network and residents participate in monthly payments and management.
The wiring of the community, a building at a time
The choice of people used a mesh network using a mesh network to get online buildings of millimeters of wave antennas on roofs to get instead. The initial setup was similar to this Nyc meshAnother provider of free internet service in the city. Since then, cooperation has expanded Fiber Internet service According to additional reliability.
New York City Internet Master PlanFormer Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Internet’s choice of more affordable and accessible, accessible and accessible people’s public housing agency, which is an important source of financial source for new ISPs and other small ISPs
“During the pandemic, we set up a network that serves more than 1000 households and provides free, high-speed Internet in a suitable apartment,” said Eric Forman, a labor activist who helps people’s choice and development Walking Cooperativative managed by the employee in the city.
The choice of people currently offers 200 the megacitis per second The symmetrical loading and booting speed plans to lower a monthly and monthly level of 1000mb / s to 500mb / s in one of 500mb / s per month. For the context, the Spectrum $ 50 and 1000Mbps offers a monthly 1000mb / s letter per month 1000MB / s, make people choose a live opponent.
The fight for accessible internet is a battle that continues
Since the service was launched, people’s choice faced several road blocks, the largest city was the decision of the Great Apple Connect program from the CO-Op-OK.
After a change in the city management, the Great Apple Connect program has effectively replaced the Internet Master Plan. Initiative, Mayor Eric Adams in 2022 and The NYC Technology and Innovation OfficeOver three years, 220 NYCHA development is designed to divide 150,000 households with free internets. According to a spokesman from the technology and innovation office in New York, the program serves about 330,000 New Yorkers.
Which Internet companies did the city choose to Helm the Great Apple Connect program instead of choosing people? The spectrum and The best Internet.
According to Walcott, Apo-OP’s largest customer group Melrose houses, 90% of the New York City housing organization developed with the selection of the Internet. With the progress in other NYCHA developments, more than 5,000 in cooperation was close to the surplus. The city rejected the city’s choice for the continuation of the services in the development of Melrose, and all equipment of colleagues was required to remove from buildings.
New York City Technology and Innovation Office, “said we would not allow us to completely destroy all the areas we have taken away from the NYCHA and worked in this point.” Said Walcott.
Although the choice of people still operated, Walcott told CNET that the workforce is significantly reduced and is already expanding the fiber of an Open fiber.
Echo in the country
Internet networks of society are an increasingly popular alternative to specifically present Internet service providers and non-profit Institute of local self-development Logs as a number of 450 public internet networks in the country, excluding the Internet Co-Ops.
Although the Internet Co-Ops is public internet networks, it is usually often created by phone and electrical utilities available in rural areas. Wake up The ratio of communal cooperatives arising during the new deal. Includes some examples Rs Fiber Cooperative In Minnesota and Central Virginia Electric Cooperative Firefly fiber broadband.
“Pure game broadband cooperatives are pretty rare,” he said. “They have only one handful of them.”
Start an internet co-op from Scratch is a cheap or easy feat. According to the Ali, Phone and Electric Co-OPs, it is easier to create because there are resources with a business model and resources.
“Employees will have a long way to ensure high-quality, inexpensive, chewing, lively salary of customers who are on the table, and the origin of the company, but also to provide meaningful, dignified, living salary.
Initially, the choice of people considered a network that belongs to the city, they considered a network where they could prepare and present a plan to the city, but never came to the fruit.
Instead, a combination of grants, private financing and subsidized funds from the affordable connection program, according to a A Report from NY State Comptollerone of the worst related pipes in the city.
“I think people really see that we solve the important social problem. In fact, very important social problems,” he said. “Our goal was to create only jobs for both people and create free internet services, but also to create jobs for strikers and reach a different level.”
People’s choice of people in a community event for one of the services of the company.
“We were able to work in the highest level and we have installed Bronx and Nycha developments,” said Walcott, “We were able to hire a service to his friends and neighbors, as well as the digital managers working with the company to help some basic digital literacy training.”
People’s choice, ACP offers discounted laptops to discounted laptops for $ 11 – and Walcott said the plan will provide a cooperation budget.
What happens next?
“So, when submitting programs such as Big Apple Connect [internet] Temporarily Nycha, what is up to NYCHA? “said Walcott.
OTI did not announce an extension option for the Great Apple Connect program. Shortly after the initiative, the choice of people, the freedom of the Information Law of New York, presented a request for information on the Great Apple Connect Agreement. According to Fanman, the city demanded many extensions in the years since the initial survey. Co-OP has gave an official complaint to the city with the city since then.
“During the one year, the program is a great victory for all NYCHA developments, a spokesman for the CNT,” a great victory for our students, a great victory for families and job seekers. ”
Despite the mass loss of subscribers and income in the decision of the Great Apple Connect, Walcott and Forman remains optimistic about the future of people.
“They are the struggles of David and Goliath,” said Forman. “So, if you don’t have much money or power, you need to be smart and strategic. But the key is not just to stop.”
