NEW YORK—New York City continues to expand its efforts to quench the broadband thirst of the booming tech sector.
On Tuesday the city launched a pilot program in conjunction with Verizon Wireless, which will rapidly deploy fiber optic cable through a method known as micro-trenching. The technique will install small conduits within the edges of city sidewalks to house fiber optic cabling, which can be used to deliver voice, Internet and cable television service.
“Broadband is the lifeblood of many New Yorkers and businesses, fundamentally transforming the ways in which they interact with and thrive in the world-at-large,” said Chief Information and Innovation Officer Merchant in a statement. “The innovative micro-trenching pilot will allow the city to speed deployment of fiber optics while minimizing the impacts to the very communities it’s helping to improve.”
The pilot is underway at 12 sites across the five boroughs, and if successful, will expand to other sites.
The program comes at no cost to the city, who, along with other communication providers, will be allowed to use the new fiber capacity for free during the duration of the pilot which should run until November 2013.
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The rate after the pilot program has yet to be determined. However, a spokesperson with the city’s Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications said the city would work with Verizon on the pricing.
Video: How micro-trenching works
