PRESS RELEASES
New York Library and Sky Packets to offer Internet through fixed wireless, fiber
New York, NY, November 27th, 2023 – The New York Public Library system was founded in 1895, just a few years after Thomas Edison lit the first electrical light in the city and shortly before Henry Ford introduced the Model T.
Today, the library is looking to offer Internet services to low-income New Yorkers through a cutting-edge mix of fixed wireless access (FWA) and fiber. According to Garfield Swaby, VP of IT for New York Public Library (NYPL), it's all part of the library's mission to bring information to its patrons.
"That's part of our core competency as a library," he said.
"We don't see ourselves as competing with the Verizons and the Comcasts of the world," Swaby explained to Light Reading. Instead, he sees NYPL as potentially offering a layer of telecom services alongside the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides subsidies to low-income Americans to help them pay for telecom services.
Part of the library's goal is to make sure "New Yorkers would always have that broadband dial-tone offered by the library," Swaby said. "Our thing is not to maximize stockholders' wealth, but instead to help New Yorkers bridge the digital divide."
The shutdown
The COVID-19 pandemic, and its resulting shutdowns across New York City, sparked the new project by NYPL. Swaby said library officials noticed residents at some of the library system's 92 locations in the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island sitting outside the buildings in order to log into the library's Wi-Fi networks.
"There was a need there," he said.
In response, library officials in New York and elsewhere started looking for ways to broadcast their buildings' Internet connections into nearby neighborhoods.
Swaby came across a school system in Utah using fixed wireless equipment in the unlicensed 3.5GHz CBRS spectrum band to beam Internet connections into students' homes. "That was eye opening," he said.
Indeed, as Light Reading has previously reported, a wide range of schools, local governments and other entities embarked on FWA deployments to keep students and others connected during pandemic lockdowns. But, as Swaby explained, those kinds of deployments were relatively rare in massive metropolitan areas like New York City.
The trial
Using funds from JPB Foundation, S&P Global and others, NYPL invited a handful of fixed wireless equipment suppliers to set up networks on top of five different NYPL library locations. The project tested radio equipment from Motorola, Celona and Baicells, and customer premises equipment (CPE) from Ericsson's Cradlepoint and Inseego, according to Swaby. Leading Managed Service Provider Sky Packets also served as an integrator and partner.
Library officials checked out CPE signal receivers to residents within range of their CBRS networks, ultimately delivering equipment and Internet connections to more than 100 New York households.
"Phase 1 of the trial was fairly successful," Swaby said, noting the project ran through most of the summer of 2022. However, he said it was very much a test effort: "We didn't want to spend too much before we knew the technology would work."
The library system's main learning was that CPE receivers for FWA systems are expensive, and in some cases library patrons did not return the gadgets.
As a result, Swaby said NYPL is now pursuing a slightly different strategy for phase two of its Internet effort. The library system is bidding on several requests for proposal (RFPs) that would have the library deliver its Internet service to apartments housing low-income residents that are close to its libraries, using either fixed wireless or fiber depending on the scenario. Residents would be able to access the library's Internet through their building's Wi-Fi system, logging in with their library card.
The takeaways
"I don't think we're at a point where I can recommend we can move ahead at scale with a single vendor," Swaby said of NYPL's experiences with fixed wireless. He said that such services are still relatively difficult to offer and manage. For example, the NYPL had to develop its own application to manage equipment and devices across several different vendors.
Broadly, the fixed wireless and private wireless marketplace needs to mature further before it's ready for prime time, Swaby said.
NYPL's work in the CBRS spectrum band was touted by the OnGo Alliance at its recent meeting in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The alliance continues to promote the value of the unlicensed CBRS spectrum band, which relies on an innovative spectrum-sharing setup. The 5G industry, however, has argued that this kind of sharing setup is inefficient when compared with an exclusive spectrum-licensing design.
The testing by NYPL is also relevant to the broader discussion about private wireless networks. Such networks promise enterprises, government users and others a network dedicated to their needs, and the needs of their patrons. However, the private wireless networking space isn't developing as quickly as some in the industry had hoped.
About Sky Packets
Sky Packets is a leading provider of Wi-Fi and last-mile connectivity solutions specializing in edge computing use cases and private wireless network using Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) private LTE/5G spectrum bands. With a proven track record of delivering secure, scalable, and high-performance networking solutions, Sky Packets empowers business and communities to thrive in the digital area. For more information, visit www.skypackets.nyc
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PRESS RELEASES
Your city is getting smarter: AustinGIS, Sky Packets, and Lumen to revolutionize smart city, connected experiences
DENVER, Aug. 15, 2023 – Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) is working with partners AustinGIS and Sky Packets to create new paths to improving the quality of life for city residents. AustinGIS, a pioneer of smart infrastructure-as-a-service (SIaaS), and Sky Packets, an innovator in last-mile connectivity solutions, announced a strategic partnership with telecom industry disruptor Lumen, whose global network powers metro connectivity and long-haul data transport.
The concept of a smart city is around improving quality of life by bringing next-generation technology to residents. Smart cities need sensors and endpoints in an urban center to manage assets and resources efficiently. Ultimately, smart cities need a great network to carry all that data.
“Smart cities will bring next-generation advancements to a community, and they need a strong network foundation to support their data-driven future,” said Sara Seegers, national vice president, Indirect Partner Channel at Lumen. “Our Lumen partnership draws on an innovative portfolio to deliver increased network security, performance and control. Working together, we are ready and excited to work toward our goal of bringing results that will be even better than what customers expect and improve residents’ connections to local government services that are so important.”
AustinGIS understands the criticality of delivering edge-centric applications coupled with a cost-effective subscription model.
“Smart city deployments are delayed because of inefficient technology, lack of execution expertise, or too much upfront capital investment,” said Anupam Srivastava, CEO of AustinGIS. “AustinGIS has a proven track record for making smart cities a reality thanks to our technology, partnerships and expertise in financing. For example, our modular platform supports both near- and far-edge deployments coupled with a data feedback loop that delivers continuous AI improvement. With our outcome-based pricing, there is no capital outlay required as the cost is based on the number of deployed endpoints. Now, by incorporating Lumen’s high-performance network into the mix we are changing the game for smart city feasibility.”
Recently, in Mexico City, AustinGIS and Sky Packets came together to help reduce crime by employing the AustinGIS smart city edge platform and endpoints with the Sky Packets wireless network.
“AustinGIS and Sky Packets are now working with Lumen to replicate our successes, such as our Mexico City project, into new markets,” said Henry Quintin, CEO, and co-founder of Sky Packets. “In Mexico, together we deployed state-of-the-art security cameras with edge compute services which reduced crime by 40% in six months, and increased citizen perception of safety by 70%. Now, we are working with Lumen to utilize their technology to drive mission critical, AI applications for faster throughput at a feasible price point for any municipality.”
Under the partnership agreement, these companies will bring more power to metropolitan residents with the latest in edge computing, AI technology, fast connections, secure applications, and an outcome-based pricing structure for improving city services and citizen engagement across metropolitan centers.
There is no lack of investment for smart cities, but inefficient technology is causing delays. The 2021 U.S. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act earmarked billions for connectivity initiatives, including smart cities.1 According to U.S. Ignite, this funding could support advanced smart city principles and technology.2 Despite this massive investment, smart city deployments are delayed because of inefficient technology, lack of execution expertise, or too much upfront capital investment.
The partnership is effective immediately.
About Lumen Technologies
Lumen connects the world. We are dedicated to furthering human progress through technology by connecting people, data and applications — quickly, securely and effortlessly. Everything we do at Lumen takes advantage of our network strength. From metro connectivity to long-haul data transport to our edge cloud, security and managed service capabilities, we meet our customers’ needs today and as they build for tomorrow. For more information, visit www.lumen.com.
About Austin-GIS
AustinGIS delivers smart city advancements to better city residents, municipalities, and businesses. By bringing scalable smart infrastructure-as-a-service (SIaaS) to global communities, AustinGIS has solved the technical and financial complexities that have limited smart city adoptions. The company has pioneered a hyperconverged, AI-edge platform reducing network latency and increasing performance. Alongside sophisticated edge technology, the company has launched smart city-centric applications in conjunction with a vast network of service providers and independent software vendors. Technology expertise, financial acumen, and partnerships have helped AustinGIS deliver projects on time and on budget, ultimately improving city life. Learn about the company’s use cases and more by visiting www.austin-gis.com.
About Sky Packets
Sky Packets is a leading provider of Wi-Fi and last-mile connectivity solutions specializing in edge computing use cases and private wireless network using Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) private LTE/5G spectrum bands. With a proven track record of delivering secure, scalable, and high-performance networking solutions, Sky Packets empowers business and communities to thrive in the digital area. For more information, visit www.skypackets.nyc
Media Contacts:
Danielle Spears
Lumen Public Relations
P: 321-256-3878
Veena Vadgama
AustinGIS
612-865-9393
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PRESS RELEASES
Sky Packets and AustinGIS™ announce a strategic partnership to support one another’s most complex municipal and large enterprise deployments.
AUSTIN, TEXAS, UNITED STATES, March 30, 2023 -- Sky Packets, a leading provider of last mile connectivity solutions, and AustinGIS™, a pioneer in digital transformation-as-a-service, announced a strategic partnership to support one another’s most complex municipal and large enterprise deployments.
Sky Packet’s 15-year track record deploying large-scale wireless projects has included a major digital divide project using Facebook’s Terragraph technology in the Redhook section of Brooklyn, a large wireless deployment for Google in Chelsea, New York City, another 90 square block project in Harlem, a digital initiative for the New York and Brooklyn Public Library systems during Covid, and countless others.
"Connectivity and wireless is tablestakes, until it doesn’t work, and then it becomes mission-critical. Municipalities and large scale enterprises cannot take the risk of deploying any solutions on top of a subpar wireless infrastructure, which is why I am very excited about the possibilities that Sky Packets can provide’’, said Henry Quintin, lead executive on this partnership.
Anupam Srivastava, Co-Founder of AustinGIS™, added, "We are thrilled to partner with Sky Packets, a company with a proven track record in providing cutting-edge networking and wireless solutions in very complex environments. We will rely on their experience and expertise in designing, building, and deploying wireless infrastructure—with the increased resiliency, low latency, and very high performance that our customers expect.’’
The partnership will combine Sky Packet’s last-mile connectivity and private wireless networks with AustinGIS's digital transformation-as-a-service Edge offerings, to empower businesses and communities to thrive in the digital age.
For more information on this partnership and the solutions offered by Sky Packets and AustinGIS, please visitwww.skypackets.nycandwww.austin-gis.com.
# # #
About AustinGIS™
AustinGIS™ provides institutions, large enterprises and the public sector with IoT, smart city, digital transformation, and infrastructure as-a-service–through large-scale financing and turnkey solutions—at scale. These “smart” offerings provide unprecedented safety, personalized experiences, real-time decision-making and autonomous capabilities to the retail, education, public sector, industrial, energy and transportation industries.For more information, visitwww.austin-gis.com.
About Sky Packets
Sky Packets is a leading provider of Wi-Fi and last-mile connectivity solutions, specializing in edge computing use cases and private wireless networks using the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) private LTE bands. With a focus on delivering secure, scalable, and high-performance networking solutions, Sky Packets empowers businesses and communities to thrive in the digital age. For more information, visitwww.skypackets.nyc
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PRESS RELEASES
New York Libraries check out CBRS as a Wi-Fi alternative.
NEW YORK, July 15th, 2022—When COVID-19 forced schools across the country to go online, pictures of students in parking lots trying to get a Wi-Fi signal blew up the internet and woke up communities nationwide to the cost of the digital divide. But in New York City, parking lots are few and far between, and students without broadband access faced an additional challenge.
“A number of donors offered to help fund initiatives to extend Wi-Fi,” remembers Garfield Swaby, VP for IT at the New York Public Library. But Swaby knew Wi-Fi wasn’t the answer. “I don’t know if it would be able to get off the sidewalk,” he said.”
Conversations with researchers at Seattle’s University of Washington and with Jason Eyre of Utah's Murray City School District convinced Swaby to evaluate CBRS using General Authorized Access. Grants totaling $1.5 million were solicited from S&P Global Fund and another private donor.
Swaby knew the libraries would be able to check out CBRS gateways to patons because they already had a history of hotspot lending. He didn’t know exactly how his team would architect the network, so he invited multiple vendors to trial their technology at various library locations throughout the city.
The trial is still going on, and all but three network vendors have been eliminated. Motorola, Celona, and Baicells are still in the running as of July 14, 2022. Each of these vendors supplies radio and core network equipment for at least one location. The library is also testing Spectrum Access Systems from both Google and Federated Wireless, and patrons can check out home gateways made by both Inseego and Cradlepoint, which is part of Ericsson.
“If we had decided to work with just one vendor, our procurement team would have bristled,” explained Swaby. “So the trial was part of that due diligence.”
The library did choose just one systems integrator for the trial, New York-based Sky Packets. Swaby said Sky Packets performed almost all the installation of the equipment.
Currently, five library locations have CBRS networks. One has Motorola gear, two have Celona networks, and two have Baicells equipment. Each location has just one CBRS antenna. Across all five locations, fewer than 100 households have been connected so far.
“The numbers of people who are walking in and checking out devices is still to me underwhelming,” said Swaby. He said most of the home gateways have been distributed by community outreach, such as library employees going into apartment buildings covered by the network and soliciting sign-ups.
"The cost per household is still very high,” said Swaby. “I think that is going to be a challenge for CBRS.” He said the home gateways cost roughly $250 each, plus an additional $40 to $100 per year for the management license.
So far, none of the users are paying for their gateways. Swaby envisioned the lending program as a stopgap measure that could help people connect to the internet for free during periods of financial instability, but he said people who check out the gateways are not returning them.
In September, the New York Public Library will evaluate the results of the trial and decide whether to continue investing in CBRS. Swaby said the library might seek federal funding to help subsidize the cost of the gateways for end users. But he’s not completely sure the project will move forward.
“CBRS isn’t a panacea,” he said. “It is a layer in a multi-layer solution to bridge the digital divide.”
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Sky Packets is a leading provider of Wi-Fi, CBRS networks for free local internet connectivity, and other managed solutions for municipalities, business improvement districts, transit operators, and out-of-home advertising companies. Among Sky Packets customers are the Times Square Alliance, Downtown Boulder, Brooklyn Public Library, Panasonic, Yaletown Vancouver, and Google.
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PRESS RELEASES
Sky Packets, The New York Economic Development Corporation, and The Mayor’s Office of New York Announces Landmark Advancements in Digital Equity Across New York City, Building Critical Broadband Infrastructure for Up to 1.6 Million New Yorkers
NEW YORK, October 28th, 2021—Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the largest step of any city in American history toward providing affordable broadband for all. Through its Internet Master Plan, New York City will be the first city in the nation to reverse the digital redlining that has left communities of color disconnected, ensure that M/WBEs share in the economic growth of the broadband industry, and incentivize at scale high-quality affordable internet service options for New Yorkers.
“Broadband isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We are closing the digital divide and bringing our city into the 21st century by reaching communities most in need.”
Today, the City is announcing that it will reach up to 1.6 million New Yorkers in the next 36 months by using $157 million to build publicly owned, open-access broadband infrastructure. The City is also designating a wide range of companies- large and small, including multiple M/WBEs -- to provide fast, reliable, and affordable connectivity options to an additional 70,000 NYCHA residents and 150,000 residents in the surrounding communities by early 2022.
Already, the City is in the process of bringing free or low-cost internet connectivity options for up to 40,000 residents in 18 New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments by the end of the year. This historic initiative brings newly affordable connectivity to a majority of NYCHA residents, with options to further scale affordable broadband to all neighborhoods citywide.
“The City is taking unprecedented action to make sure that the digital divide soon becomes a thing of the past,” said Deputy Mayor for Administration and Chief of Staff Emma Wolfe. “We’re not just connecting New Yorkers to the internet. With the City’s investment in both connectivity and new infrastructure, we’re ensuring that affordable, reliable, high-speed internet service will be possible well into the future.”
“The Internet Master Plan proves that government can leverage its vast resources to bring affordable, essential Broadband services and infrastructure to those who need it most” said J. Phillip Thompson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives. “The Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity was proud to support this strategic investment that will greatly benefit our target communities most impacted by decades of disinvestment.”
“No matter your zip code, every New Yorker deserves an equal opportunity to participate in building our shared future,” said New York City Chief Technology Officer John Paul Farmer. “The New York City Internet Master Plan has enabled the Big Apple’s unprecedented progress in promoting digital equity and making that idealistic vision a practical reality. New York City’s bold new approach delivers cross-sector partnerships, incorporates cutting-edge technologies, upgrades performance, and ensures affordability for residents and businesses. That is how we are transforming the broadband marketplace.”
“This program is a model for ensuring that every American has access to reliable high-speed internet. New York is proof positive that this kind of equitable infrastructure development is a critical component of what it means to Build Back Better,” said Dr. Alondra Nelson, Deputy Director for Science and Society, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “That’s why the Biden-Harris Administration so values the vision and partnership of Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York City.”
“Many communities hardest hit by COVID have experienced longstanding health and socioeconomic inequities, including a lack of access to affordable and reliable broadband internet,” said Sideya Sherman, Executive Director of the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity. “This disparity is the result of digital redlining. With today's announcement, the City is driving equity and righting this historic wrong.”
“In today’s landscape, providing equitable access to internet service is essential for improving the quality of life and pathways to opportunity for our residents,” said NYCHA Chair & CEO Greg Russ. “Over the past year, we have made tremendous strides in expanding affordable broadband options for public housing communities, and we are excited to work with the City as well as our public and private partners in bringing a robust digital infrastructure to even more NYCHA campuses in the years to come.”
“We are thrilled these latest milestones implementing the Internet Master Plan continue to increase digital access for communities that need it the most,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Rachel Loeb. “Now more than 250,000 New Yorkers, including NYCHA residents, will have access to new, affordable, high-speed internet options and we are excited to continue to work with our City Partners on advancing the City's Internet Master Plan.”
“Providing equitable access to broadband is critical to the City's economic growth and recovery,” said Jonnel Doris, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “Now more than ever, small business owners and job seekers in underserved communities are relying on the internet to effectively participate in our economy. SBS was proud to be an integral part of this initiative, which levels the playing field for customers, opens the door to smaller providers, and diversifies the City's digital service pool. This is a win for everyone.”
“Broadband connectivity is increasingly important for the activities that help people lead productive and healthy lives,” said Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Jamie Torres-Springer. “By investing in broadband infrastructure the City is investing in the future, including the ability to deliver government services efficiently. DDC is prepared to support this important work however possible.”
“This past year has revealed that while greenspaces and parks are essential, so too is reliable access to affordable internet,” said New York City Parks Commissioner Gabrielle Fialkoff. “With this latest announcement, we are proud to be part of this administration’s Internet Master Plan and will continue to do our part to expand broadband infrastructure into our city’s parks and greenspaces where possible.”
"The last 20 months have made clear what we’ve long known - fast, reliable, and affordable broadband is not a luxury, it's an essential utility for learning, working, public health, and to ensure all people can thrive," said Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation. “From pioneering publicly owned open-access broadband infrastructure to increasing competition between ISPs, these pathbreaking steps by New York City to close the digital divide marks a milestone in advancing the promise of equity in broadband access.”
“The pandemic has permanently altered the role of broadband, and access to it, as essential infrastructure for individuals, communities, governments and small businesses to function in today’s digital world,” said Michael Froman, Vice Chairman and President of Strategic Growth for Mastercard. “Yet millions of households across the country do not have access and many small businesses lack the digital skills or education to leverage online services. Mastercard is committed to working with local governments, telcos and small business owners to ensure we obtain ubiquitous access to broadband and foster digital skills development as a critical step toward achieving a more equitable and inclusive society where opportunity exists for all.”
“20 years ago, then-Councilman Bill de Blasio recognized how important broadband access is for all New Yorkers to learn, work, and participate in the 21st century economy” said Andrew Rasiej, Co-founder of Civic Hall. “With today’s announcement Mayor Bill de Blasio is making his vision of a more fair and equitable online future for all a public priority and reality.”
“In today's world, broadband is a utility, plain and simple. The past 19 months have shown us how crucial it was for learning, working, or shopping from home. To close the digital divide once and for all requires a new kind of thinking,” said Chair & Co-founder of Sky Packets Henry Quintin. “And the New York City Internet Master Plan represents that new kind of thinking. Sky Packets is keen on leveraging new technologies to ensure that no New Yorker is left digitally behind. Sky Packets is proud to be a strategic partner with the City of New York and the Mayor's Office of the Chief Technology Officer to bring our high-quality, affordable broadband service across the five boroughs.”
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Sky Packets is a leading provider of Wi-Fi, CBRS networks for free local internet connectivity and other managed solutions for municipalities, business improvement districts, transit operators, and out-of-home advertising companies. Among Sky Packets customers are the Times Square Alliance, Downtown Boulder, Brooklyn Public Library, Panasonic, Yaletown Vancouver, Facebook, and Google.
CONTACT:
Steve Amarante, Partner, 516-882-3155
connect@sky-packets.com
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PRESS RELEASES
Sky Packets and New York City Announces Free and Low-Cost Broadband Access for NYCHA Developments
NEW YORK, May 6th, 2021—Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced a major milestone in the City’s effort to bring new internet connectivity options to residents of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and to create a shift in the local broadband market. As part of New York City’s implementation of the Internet Master Plan for Universal Broadband, the City has executed license agreements with five internet service providers to offer high-speed internet access for up to 30,000 residents in 13 NYCHA developments. NYCHA is currently in the process of finalizing an agreement with a sixth internet service provider.
The five vendors with executed license agreements -- Starry, Sky Packets, Silicon Harlem, Flume, and NYC Mesh -- are finalists selected from the City’s Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) issued in partnership with the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC) in June 2020. Three developments selected through this process will receive free WiFi on public grounds, while the remaining 10 developments will be wired for affordable in-unit internet access. This effort is part of the Mayor's commitment to extend broadband to New Yorkers in the hardest-hit communities identified by the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity.
“In this day and age, high-quality internet service is a necessity, not a luxury,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “By investing in broadband infrastructure, we drive forward a recovery for all of us—both by delivering much needed resources to NYCHA families and making significant progress on our commitment to close the city’s digital divide.”
"The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the way we work, learn and connect to resources, and universal broadband access is essential for communities of color that were hardest-hit by COVID-19 to build back stronger," said First Lady Chirlane McCray. "This historic investment will open the door for industry leaders to deliver innovative technology solutions that end the digital divide and ensure a fair recovery for all."
"Affordable broadband is critical for 21st century life," said Deputy Mayor for Operations Laura Anglin. "The Internet connects millions of New Yorkers to work, education, healthcare, family and more. I'm thrilled these partnerships will bring high-speed connectivity to 30,000 NYCHA residents as we implement our nation-leading Internet Master Plan."
"A 21st century recovery for all of us means increasing access to critical infrastructure like broadband," said Deputy Mayor Vicki Been. "For too long, the digital divide has prevented many New Yorkers—including families, students, and seniors—from accessing the Internet where they live. The Internet Master Plan is our boldest investment in universal broadband to date, and I'm thrilled we've partnered with these providers to speed up access to this vital resource for 30,000 NYCHA residents."
“We have witnessed how transformational internet connectivity can be to the lives of New Yorkers. Now, 30,000 more NYCHA residents are gaining affordable broadband options through the City’s bold and innovative approach. The Internet Master Plan is changing lives for the better by making education, opportunity, and healthcare more accessible. In addition, broadband creates opportunities to strengthen bonds with family, friends, and community,” said New York City Chief Technology Officer John Paul Farmer. “Building on this notable progress, the City will continue to facilitate partnerships with internet service providers that share the goal of affordable, high-speed internet for all New Yorkers.”
"New York City is closer to achieving its goal of becoming a fairer and equitable city with launching the Internet Master Plan for Universal Broadband," said NYCEDC Acting President Rachel Loeb. "Through this Master Plan, five vendors will provide access to affordable, high-speed internet options for 30,000 NYCHA residents. We're thrilled the City has reached a milestone to close the digital divide, which for too long has had a disproportionate impact in communities that need it the most.”
“The Authority is committed to expanding the quality of internet service options available to our residents by leveraging emerging technologies and identifying innovative partnership opportunities,” said NYCHA Chair & CEO Greg Russ. “We want to thank the City, MOCTO, and NYCEDC for working with us on this important milestone of making high-speed broadband service more accessible to public housing residents across New York City.”
“Digital equity must be a priority and this initiative demonstrates our commitment to ending the divide. Free and low cost broadband access is crucial for NYCHA residents and communities of color to have equitable access to work, learning, healthcare, government services and other essential resources,” said Sideya Sherman, Executive Director of the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity and EVP for Community Engagement and Partnerships, NYCHA. “This gap existed before the pandemic and is even more critical now. This unprecedented investment, which accelerates the Internet Master Plan, demonstrates how the City can work creatively, across government, to meet the moment.”
“Amid COVID-19, having broadband access that you can trust was a social determinant of good health and synonymous with economic stability,” said Henry Quintin, CEO of Sky Packets. “Sky Packets managed Wi-Fi solutions serve as a catalyst in closing the digital divide. From virtual learning, streaming, and remote work, we are proud to partner with local community advocates The Red Hook Initiative, NYCHA, NYCEDC, and the Mayor's Office of the Chief Technology Office to offer a much-needed utility to the residents of Red Hook, Brooklyn.”
About the RFEI
This RFEI offered a unique opportunity for internet service providers, both large and small, to propose their plans and partnership ideas to use new access to NYCHA buildings and facilities to rapidly close the digital divide for this slice of New Yorkers. Respondents proved the City’s theory: that when the City offers new assets -- including building common areas, facades, rooftops, light poles, and other physical structures that can be used for broadband installation -- a diverse set of companies will enter the market with lower cost service options that present competition to the large companies offering limited high-quality service options to New Yorkers. These new companies prove that you can bring new connectivity options to public housing communities and to low-connectivity neighborhoods to close the digital divide.
In the target neighborhoods, internet service providers charge anywhere from $40/month to $110/month. With this RFEI, vendors will provide free or low-cost internet service residents can sign up for no more than $20/month.
Sky Packets is a leading provider of Wi-Fi, CBRS networks for free local internet connectivity and other managed solutions for municipalities, business improvement districts, transit operators, and out-of-home advertising companies. Among Sky Packets customers are the Times Square Alliance, Downtown Boulder, Brooklyn Public Library, Panasonic, Yaletown Vancouver, and Google.
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PRESS RELEASES
VSBLTY AND SKY PACKETS TEAM TO DEPLOY INTELLIGENT SECURITY & SMART CITY SOLUTIONS FOR DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS
PHILADELPHIA, PA., January 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)—VSBLTY Groupe Technologies Corp. (CSE: VSBY) (Frankfurt 5VS) (OTC: VSBGF) (“VSBLTY”), a leading provider of security and retail marketing technology, is partnering with Sky Packets, the New York City-based prominent developer of Wi-Fi Mesh networks and “Smart City” applications for municipalities and business improvement districts, to strategically deploy advanced security and “Smart City” solutions to U.S. and international customers.
VSBLTY Co-founder & CEO Jay Hutton, commenting on the strategic deal, said, “We are particularly excited to partner with Sky Packets because there is a growing need worldwide for intelligent integrated security and ‘Smart City’ applications for municipal governments, business districts, transit operators, among others.” He explained that the joint deployments will include license plate recognition for security, smart parking, curbside management applications, as well as people and vehicle counting, demographic analysis, density management, and retail analytics. “These infrastructure solutions are even more in demand by businesses and governments today,” Hutton added.
VSBLTY has a strong technology presence in retail and other industries, including current “Smart City” deployments in the U.S. and Latin America. The firm’s industry-leading VisionCaptor™ and DataCaptor™ software combine motion graphics and interactive brand messaging with cutting-edge computer vision analytics while providing enhanced customer engagement with audience measurement including customer traffic and demographics.
Henry Quintin, Co-Founder & CEO, said, “Our partnership with VSBLTY will enable us to provide a wide variety of customers with state-of-the-art security solutions as well as advanced analytics and analysis never before available from a single source. Real-time analytics is the next logical step for intelligent networks and there is a growing demand among our current customers. The increasing complexity of citywide infrastructure initiatives calls for Sky Packet’s sophisticated management, security, and experience deploying at scale. We are confident that with the addition of VSBLTY’s security software we have the right solutions for businesses and governments in a variety of ‘Smart City’ applications and public venues.”
Sky Packets is a leading provider of Wi-Fi, CBRS networks for free local internet connectivity and other managed solutions for municipalities, business improvement districts, transit operators, and out-of-home advertising companies. Among Sky Packets customers are the Times Square Alliance, Downtown Boulder, Brooklyn Public Library, Panasonic, Yaletown Vancouver, and Google.
Investor Relations
CHF Capital Markets
Cathy Hume, CEO, +1-416-868-1079, x251
cathy@chfir.com
CONTACT: Linda Rosanio, 609-472-0877
lrosanio@vsblty.net
About VSBLTY (www.vsblty.net)
Headquartered in Philadelphia, VSBLTY (CSE: VSBY) (Frankfurt: 5VS) (OTC: VSBGF) (“VSBLTY”) is the world leader in Proactive Digital Display™, which transforms retail and public spaces as well as place-based media networks with SaaS-based audience measurement and security software that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning.
About Sky Packets (www.skypackets.nyc)
Sky Packets was founded in 2007 in New York City as a result of a straightforward observation: technology has transformed how people interact with the world. Municipalities, business improvement districts, retail stores, property owners, and outdoor events are consistently needing to adjust to this interaction. This mismatch led Sky Packets to change the calculus of delivering Wi-Fi Mesh networks and new “Smart City” applications to bridge the interaction between people and public/private spaces. With its powerful, turnkey, integrated set of applications and hardware solutions, municipalities, BID’s property owners, and event coordinators can attract, engage and delight customers and residents by delivering experiences in their spaces that are relevant, helpful, and personalized.
CONTACT:
Steve Amarante, Partner, 516-882-3155
connect@sky-packets.com
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PRESS RELEASES
Neutral Connect Networks and Sky Packets Today Announce a New Joint Venture to Address the Changing Wireless Needs of Cities
LOS ANGELES, CA — September 14, 2018 — Neutral Connect Networks (NCN) and Sky Packets announced today at Mobile World Congress their launch of a new joint venture named Sky Connect Networks (SCN) to address the growing need for creative financing of Smart City networks (WiFi, DAS, CBRS, Small Cell) and applications for venues in business improvement districts (BIDs), neighborhood and municipal markets.
SCN offers a free WiFi as a service (WaaS) platform whereby SCN provides all capital expenditures for wireless network infrastructure and operational expenses (such as backhaul, power and network monitoring),yet charges only a nominal fee for the right to operate a branded and customized secure or open, Free WiFi SSID(s) for venue’s and communities of all sizes. SCN’s unique approach provides new avenues and options to communities looking for ways to digitally activate public spaces and main streets while empowering the venues with the tools needed to digitally market and advertise local businesses and community events. SCN is positioned to additionally offer private LTE to the venues for staff communication, IoT and other applications.
“Sky Connect Networks is a unique joint venture that provides the intellectual and financial capital cities and communities need for successful public WiFi and smart city initiatives,” says Henry Quintin, CEO of Sky Packets. “SCN will provide the infrastructure needed for these initiatives while giving back the control of public Wi-Fi branding and user experience to municipalities and/or BIDs, allowing them to customize the digital experience and messaging to residents and patrons of their communities.”
Please reach out to find more about Sky Connect networks at www.skyconnectnetwork.com and at info@skyconnectnetwork.com.
About Neutral Connect Networks
Founded in 2016, Neutral Connect Networks, LLC is an independent developer, owner and operator of wireless communications networks offering neutral hosting in addition to traditional attachment. NCN’s management team has over 75 years of aggregate experience in the wireless infrastructure industry. For more information on NCN, visit us at www.neutralconnect.com
About Sky Packets
Since 2008, Sky-Packets, a division of Corporate Biznis, Inc. has been providing high density municipal WiFi networks and smart city applications that bridge the interaction between people and public/private spaces. Sky-Packets offers a full suite of smart city and wireless network design, installation and maintenance services for municipalities, BID's property owners, venues and event coordinators. For more information on Sky-Packets visit us at www.skypackets.nyc
Stephanie Goodrich
561-349-8989
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PRESS RELEASES
HOLLYWOOD, Fla., May 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -
- GoZoneWiFi has been selected by Sky Packets, owners and operators of large public WiFi districts, to transform community WiFi zones into powerful proximity advertising channels with GoZone's Ads4WiFi™ platform, which enables operators to deliver relevant location-based ads across its WiFi networks.
The long-term, exclusive partnership gives advertisers the opportunity to reach millions of mobile, connected visitors leveraging GoZoneWiFi's Ads4WiFi advertising media network. The addition of Sky Packets' locations including New York City, Boston, Boulder, Vancouver and Washington D.C., increases the overall footprint of the Ads4WiFi Media Network allowing advertisers to easily choose specific markets and demographics for targeted engagements.
"GoZoneWiFi's Ads4WiFi™ is bringing WiFi operators together into an innovative media network that gives WiFi providers the ability to generate new revenue streams," said Todd Myers, CEO of GoZoneWiFi. "This partnership means advertisers and agencies can leverage consumer mobile WiFi use to achieve improved ad targeting and efficiency," he added. The partnership can place brands in front of people for a much higher engagement rate compared to other forms of digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising mediums.
Sky Packets has deployed tier-one wireless infrastructure in large urban zones across the United States. For example in New York City, Sky Packets currently manages WiFi corridors from the tip of Lower Manhattan up to 138st in Harlem and across the five boroughs. Within these hot-zones, users can use the Internet without losing WiFi signal.
"Sky Packets has been implementing and managing large municipal WiFi networks in diverse communities throughout the country. Our new WiFi Ads service must have a platform that can meet the needs of the individual networks we deploy and the Ads4WiFi solution is flexible and scalable enough to handle all of our needs,” said Henry Quintin, CEO of Sky Packets.
About GoZoneWiFi
GoZoneWiFi develops cloud-based platforms to monetize public and guest WiFi networks. GoZone's Ads4WiFi™ platform manages the delivery of geo-targeted, digital advertisements to people using public and guest WiFi networks. The Ads4WiFi Media Network aggregates disparate networks allowing operators to sell advertisements matched to locations. Its innovative Smart WiFi™ platform enables WiFi operators to collect user data, while delivering unique marketing tools to help venues promote their businesses and re-target guests. For advertising opportunities, visit http://www.ads4wifi.com.
About Sky Packets
Sky Packets designs, installs and maintains WiFi Mesh networks and new smart city applications to bridge the interaction between people and public/private spaces. With our powerful, turnkey, integrated set of applications and hardware solutions, municipalities, BID's property owners and event coordinators can attract, engage, and delight customers and residents by delivering experiences that are relevant, helpful, and personalized. For more information visit us at www.skypackets.nyc