NYC Mesh Awarded $898,035 ConnectALL Grant to Expand Community-Owned Internet Across New York City

Volunteer-Built Mesh Internet Network Will Hire Its First Full-Time Staff Member and Bring Low-Cost Internet to Over 500 Households in Underserved Communities

NEW YORK, NY — July 21, 2026 — NYC Mesh is excited to announce its selection for an $898,035 award from New York State’s ConnectALL initiative. NYC Housing Preservation & Development will support NYC Mesh in identifying priority neighborhoods underserved by traditional commercial ISPs and connect at least 500 low income households to its affordable, community-run network.

The award will also allow NYC Mesh to strengthen its community-owned model, which treats the internet as a shared resource, by hiring its first full-time staff member to support maintenance and improvement of its operational systems and processes. These investments will enable faster, lower-cost deployment of infrastructure and more responsive and efficient coordination of volunteer efforts in underserved communities. These efforts will allow NYC Mesh to more rapidly scale its community-focused, volunteer-led approach that has already brought new, affordable service options to multiple boroughs across New York City.

Matthew Boyd, Board Member, NYC Mesh: “More than ever before, fair and open access to the Internet is necessary for participation in modern society, enabling higher quality access to banking, healthcare, education, news, and much more. This grant and our collaboration with NYC Housing Preservation & Development will allow us to more rapidly bring reliable, affordable, high-speed connectivity to those most in need in the city.”

Dave Seliger, Chief Digital Equity Officer, NYC Housing Preservation & Development: “Internet access is not a luxury, it is a basic necessity, and over the last decade, NYC Mesh has proven that community broadband networks are an essential part of the solution for achieving universal internet access in New York City,” said Dave Seliger, Chief Digital Equity Officer at the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development. “Our agency is excited to partner with NYC Mesh on expanding our Neighborhood Internet program model to Central Brooklyn, where nearly 25% of households lack internet access. This collaboration will ensure that New Yorkers living in affordable housing developments in Brownsville and East New York have free internet service and the support to use the internet to access public benefits, healthcare, and other critical services.”

Harper Zacharias, Resource Mobilization Consultant, NYC Mesh “NYC Mesh has long imagined a world where internet access is a public good, and works hard to make that a reality for thousands of New Yorkers. In addition to enabling NYC Mesh to scale up its work, ConnectALL’s decision to invest in NYC Mesh serves as recognition of the substantial value that community organizations bring as partners in addressing public utility and infrastructure based inequities.”

Hope Knight, President, CEO and Commissioner, Empire State Development: “Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, ConnectALL is supporting innovative, community-based solutions that expand affordable, reliable broadband access. This award will help NYC Mesh strengthen its volunteer-led network and connect more than 500 low-income households across New York City. By investing in models that increase competition and respond directly to community needs, ESD is helping more New Yorkers access the internet service they need to learn, work and thrive.”

Empire State Development (ESD) announced the award as part of more than $8.3 million in ConnectALL grants. It was made through the state-funded Connectivity Innovation – Business Model Awards, which support organizations using novel financing strategies to prioritize the internet for low-income and rural communities.

NYC Mesh was one of five organizations recognized under the Connectivity Innovation – Business Model Awards, alongside Connect Humanity, Computers 4 People, The New York Public Library, and People’s Choice Communications. Through the broader ConnectALL initiative, New York State is investing more than $1 billion to transform the state’s digital infrastructure, enhance competition among providers, and ensure that every New Yorker has access to reliable, affordable high-speed internet.

About NYC Mesh NYC Mesh is a volunteer-run community network dedicated to ending the digital divide and extending high-speed, reliable internet to all New Yorkers. Built on the principle that the internet is a shared public resource, their network is owned and maintained by its members rather than a commercial internet provider. Founded in 2014, NYC Mesh operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with member and volunteer driven decision-making and operational authority. Volunteers install rooftop antennas and fiber infrastructure that link together into a decentralized, highly resilient network. Today the network serves over 1,500 households with a donation-based funding model where members aren’t cut off if they’re not able to pay. That’s in pursuit of its mission to provide internet access for all New Yorkers, regardless of their economic status.

About ConnectALL Governor Hochul has made expanding broadband access a cornerstone of her administration’s efforts to create a more equitable and affordable New York. Through the ConnectALL initiative, administered by Empire State Development, New York State is investing more than $1 billion to transform the state’s digital infrastructure, enhance competition among providers, and ensure that every New Yorker has access to reliable, affordable high-speed internet.

Learn more about the grants and ESD announcement here.

About Empire State Development Empire State Development is New York’s chief economic development agency, promoting business growth, job creation, and greater economic opportunity throughout the state. With offices in each of the state’s 10 regions, ESD oversees the Regional Economic Development Councils, supports broadband equity through the ConnectALL office, and is growing the workforce of tomorrow through the Office of Strategic Workforce Development. The agency engages with emerging and next generation industries like clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing looking to grow in New York State, operates a network of assistance centers to help small businesses grow and succeed, and promotes the state’s world class tourism destinations through I LOVE NY. For more information, please visit esd.ny.gov, and connect with ESD on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X.

Social Media: @nycmesh