Mayor Eric Adams unveiled on Monday the nation's largest free broadband pilot program that will bring free high-speed internet to NYCHA residents.

The Big Apple Connect program partners with Spectrum, which is part of Charter Communications, NY1's parent company, and Optimum, to bring free Wi-Fi and cable TV to 300,000 public housing residents by the end of 2023.

"We saw during COVID absence of internet service. Our young people were not able to do their remote learning," Adams said. "We saw our elders were not able to do telemedicine. Updates were not available, and it was just simply wrong."

According to cable service providers, about 30%-40% of NYCHA residents lack broadband.

The program was initially piloted at eight public housing developments across the five boroughs, but the city expanded it to over 200 NYCHA developments.