#fiber construction

ConnectNYC Fiber Access has opened its second round of applications to small or medium-sized businesses in need of an upgrade in broadband infrastructure. The program helps connect the city's fast-growing companies to high-speed Internet by providing free fiber optic construction.

In round one, over 100 businesses submitted applications across the five boroughs. Currently, 29 companies and approximately 1000 tenants are connected with high-speed Internet through Time Warner Cable Business Class and Cablevision.

Does your business qualify for the next round of ConnectNYC? We spoke with Marc Plotkin, co-founder and Chief Business Development Officer at DecisionDesk (one of the fiber challenge winners), about the application process. See if your company can join theirs in free fiber connectedness.

Company: DecisionDesk

Founded: 2010

Size: 20 Full-Time Employees

What We Do: DecisionDesk provides a web based service that streamlines the submission and review process of applicants for higher education and enterprise organizations.

Why Fiber? : We've created our entire service in-house and have a combination of engineers pushing code and sales people connecting with organizations around the world...all via the internet. So fast upload/download is essential.

How long did the application process take?: The process didn't take long at all. I explained a few situations where NOT having fiber had been a real hindrance, how the service we provide yields significant results to the education and business world, and employs New Yorkers.

What was the installation process like?: Time Warner is still in the process of hooking us up, but it will not only benefit DecisionDesk, but the entire building (full of other startups) on W17th St.

Since receiving your free fiber, what’s been the biggest change in your work process?: We're already making plans to integrate more real-time video into our internal communications. We have another office in Cleveland, OH and it's essential for productivity and internal culture to keep the whole team sync'ed up.

Who do you think should apply for ConnectNYC Fiber Access?: Any startup that is living entirely online like DecisionDesk and has a lot of people who need to move really fast.

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Up to $14 million in fiber construction cost coverage is now available through ConnectNYC. Applications will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis until December 12, 2013. Beat the rush, and apply now! 

New York City is helping connect small and medium-sized businesses to high-speed internet by providing free fiber optic construction to qualifying companies.

Are you a growing business that depends on secure and reliable high-speed internet for downloading and uploading content as part of your daily business operations? If so, you may be eligible to apply for free fiber construction to your office space. 

Participating companies must have an office location in NYC, have fewer than 500 employees, and explain the anticipated impact of fiber on their business.  Up to $14 M in funding is available for construction through five participating Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Approved applicants will be required to sign a one-year service contract with a participating ISP at negotiated market rates to be eligible to receive the free construction.