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Big Apple Connect

Big Apple Connect is bringing free high-speed internet service to NYCHA!

NYC's Office of Technology and Innovation officially launched Big Apple Connect in September 2022 to ensure that NYCHA residents have access to free, fast, reliable, and safe internet. NYCHA residents without existing home internet will be able to sign up for Big Apple Connect with either Optimum or Spectrum (service provider will depend on where you live). Existing Optimum and Spectrum customers will have their bills reduced to as low as $0, as monthly internet and basic cable TV charges are eliminated.

NYCHA residents in eligible developments are eligible to receive:

FREE internet connections with download speeds of up to 300 Mbps
FREE wireless router
FREE modem
FREE basic cable TV
FREE cable box and remote control

Who is Eligible?

Residents of the developments listed below are eligible to enroll in Big Apple Connect today. Check this page for updates.

Note: All Bronx developments below are serviced by Altice/Optimum. Those developments that appear in bold are new additions to the Big Apple Connect program.

1162-1176 Washington Avenue
1471 Watson Avenue
Adams
Bailey Avenue-West 193rd Street
Boston Secor
Boynton Avenue Rehab
Bronx River
Bronx River Addition
Butler
Castle Hill
Claremont Parkway-Franklin Avenue
Claremont Rehab (Group 2)
Claremont Rehab (Group 3)
Claremont Rehab (Group 4)
Claremont Rehab (Group 5)
College Avenue-East 165th Street
Davidson
East 152nd Street/Courtlandt Ave
East 180th Street-Monterey Avenue
Eastchester Gardens
Forest
Fort Independence Street-Heath Avenue
Glebe Avenue-Westchester Avenue
Gun Hill
Highbridge Gardens
Jackson
Longfellow Avenue Rehab
Marble Hill (Spectrum)
Mckinley
Melrose
Middletown Plaza
Mill Brook
Mill Brook Extension
Mitchel
Monroe
Moore
Morris I
Morris II
Morrisania
Morrisania Air Rights
Mott Haven
Parkside
Patterson
Pelham Parkway
Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue
Saint Mary's Park
Sedgwick
Sotomayor Houses
Soundview
Teller Avenue-East 166th Street
Throggs Neck
Throggs Neck Addition
Twin Parks East (Site 9)
Webster

Note: Service provider for Brooklyn developments indicated in parentheses below. Those developments that appear in bold are new additions to the Big Apple Connect program.

303 Vernon Ave. (Optimum)
Albany (Optimum)
Albany II (Optimum)
Atlantic Terminal Site 4B (Spectrum)
Bay View (Optimum)
Bedford-Stuyvesant Rehab (Optimum)
Borinquen Plaza I (Spectrum)
Borinquen Plaza II (Spectrum)
Breukelen (Optimum)
Brevoort (Optimum)
Brown (Optimum)
Brownsville (Optimum)
Bushwick (Spectrum)
Carey Gardens (Optimum)
Coney Island (Optimum)
Coney Island I (Site 1B) (Optimum)
Coney Island I (Site 8) (Optimum)
Coney Island I (Sites 4 & 5) (Optimum)
Cooper Park (Spectrum)
Cypress Hills (Optimum)
East New York City Line (Optimum)
Farragut (Spectrum)
Garvey (Group A) (Optimum)
Glenmore Plaza (Optimum)
Glenwood (Optimum)
Gowanus (Spectrum)
Gravesend (Optimum)
Haber (Optimum)
Howard (Optimum)
Hughes (Optimum)
Hylan (Spectrum)
Ingersoll (Spectrum)
Kingsborough Houses (Optimum)
Kingsborough Extension (Optimum)
Lafayette (Optimum)
Long Island Baptist Houses (Optimum)
Low Houses (Optimum)
Marcy (Optimum)
Marlboro (Optimum)
Nostrand (Optimum)
Ocean Hill Apartments (Optimum)
O'dwyer Gardens (Optimum)
Pink (Optimum)
Red Hook East (Spectrum)
Red Hook West (Spectrum)
Reid Apartments (Optimum)
Roosevelt I (Optimum)
Roosevelt II (Optimum)
Sheepshead Bay (Optimum)
Sumner (Optimum)
Surside (Optimum)
Taylor Street-Wythe Avenue (Spectrum)
Tilden (Optimum)
Tompkins (Optimum)
Unity Plaza (Sites 17,24,25A) (Optimum)
Unity Plaza (Sites 4-27) (Optimum)
Van Dyke I (Optimum)
Van Dyke II (Optimum)
Vandalia Avenue (Optimum)
Whitman (Spectrum)
Woodson (Optimum)
Wyckoff Gardens (Spectrum)

Note: All developments located in Manhattan are serviced by Charter/Spectrum. Those developments that appear in bold are new additions to the Big Apple Connect program.

131 Saint Nicholas Avenue
154 West 84th Street
45 Allen Street
830 Amsterdam Avenue
Amsterdam
Amsterdam Addition
Audubon
Baruch
Baruch Houses Addition
Bethune Gardens
Bracetti Plaza
Campos Plaza II
Carver
Chelsea
Chelsea Addition
Clinton
Corsi Houses
De Hostos Apartments
Douglass Addition
Douglass I
Douglass II
Drew-Hamilton
Dyckman
East River
Elliott
First Houses
Fulton
Gompers
Grant
Harborview Terrace
Hernandez
Holmes Towers
Isaacs
Jefferson
Johnson
King Towers
LaGuardia
LaGuardia Addition
Lehman Village
Lexington
Lincoln
Lower East Side I Infill
Lower East Side II
Lower East Side III
Lower East Side Rehab (Group 5)
Manhattanville
Meltzer Tower
Polo Grounds
Rangel
Rehab Program (Douglass Rehabs)
Rehab Program (Wise Rehab)
RIIS
RIIS II
Robbins Plaza
Robinson
Rutgers
Saint Nicholas
Seward Park Extension
Smith
Stanton Street
Straus
Taft Houses
Thomas Apartments
Two Bridges Ura (Site 7)
Upaca (Site 5)
Upaca (Site 6)
Vladeck
Vladeck II
Wagner
Wald
Washington
Wilson
WSUR (Brownstones)
WSUR (Site A) 120 West 94th Street
WSUR (Site B) 74 West 92nd Street
WSUR (Site C) 589 Amsterdam Avenue

Note: All Queens developments below are serviced by Charter/Spectrum.

Astoria
Baisley Park
Beach 41st Street-Beach Channel Drive
Bland
Carleton Manor
Conlon Lihfe Tower
Hammel
International Tower
Latimer Gardens
Leavitt Street-34th Avenue
Ocean Bay Apartments (Oceanside)
Pomonok
Queensbridge (North And South)
Ravenswood
Redfern
Rehab Program (College Point)
Shelton House
South Jamaica I
South Jamaica II
Woodside

Note: All Staten Island developments are serviced by Charter/Spectrum.

Berry
Cassidy-Lafayette
Mariner's Harbor
New Lane Area
Richmond Terrace
South Beach
Stapleton
Todt Hill

Enrollment

Who can enroll in Big Apple Connect?: Residents living in the NYCHA developments listed above are eligible. Call the phone numbers below to check eligibility.
Do I need an ID to enroll?: No. You only need to give your street address and apartment number to get started.
Is this program mandatory?: Residents without existing internet service have to actively enroll in Big Apple Connect. Existing customers will soon see their bills automatically reduced.
How do I enroll?: Call your cable provider (Optimum or Spectrum).
Optimum: 866-580-1410
Spectrum: 866-960-1754

Program Details

Is the program free?: Yes, the Big Apple Connect program is completely free. Optimum and Spectrum may offer you additional services with faster speeds, premium cable channels, and/or phone service. These additional services are not free. You will be responsible for any additional services not covered by the Big Apple Connect program.
Is there a cancellation fee?: If you have only the basic Big Apple Connect program package, then no. If you have opted for additional services, you will be responsible for those associated costs.
Who gets the bill?: You will receive a billing statement from the vendor that shows you don't owe anything, because you participate in Big Apple Connect. This program is funded by the City of New York, which is paying the vendor directly to make sure you have free, fast, reliable, and safe access to high-speed internet. If you choose to get additional services, your bill will list those services and you are responsible to pay the fees associated with them.
Is there a credit check?: If you opt-in to Big Apple Connect, then no. If you choose to get additional services, the vendor may require a credit review.
Can I get a credit/refund for basic cable services that I already paid for?: No, you will only receive benefits from the point you opt-in to the program by completing the vendor application. The City of New York will not pay for any services retroactively.
How long will this program last?: The Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI) entered into three-year agreements with Altice (Optimum) and Charter (Spectrum), guaranteeing delivery of the program through 2025, with two extension options through 2027. OTI hopes to deliver the program in the years beyond these contractual terms.

Need Help?

What happens if I have a problem?: If you need assistance or have problems with vendor enrollment or service quality, a dedicated Big Apple Connect customer service line is available to you through your particular provider. If you are having trouble with an existing enrollment or have received a billing error, you can also contact 311 to request assistance.
What happens if I move or have to cancel the benefit?: As long as you are a resident in a participating NYCHA development, you can continue to use the Big Apple Connect service. If you need to transfer your service, call your vendor's customer service line (listed above).
What if I already have internet and cable service through Optimum or Spectrum?: You don't have to do anything. If you are eligible, you will automatically see the savings on your next bill.

visit the office of technology & innovation

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