NYC Broadband?

I have tried to keep away from broadband since it is becoming a closed system with minimal innovation. Yes, I know, 5G and all that stuff. Imaging little antennas all over broadcasting RF at frequencies which could fry your eyeballs out. But I guess that is when tin hats become useful.

Now along come NYC proposing broadband for all getting folks to put fiber everywhere. As Ars Technica states:

The plan, announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio and Chief Technology Officer John Paul Farmer yesterday, says New York City "will prioritize and optimize 'open-access' or 'neutral-host' infrastructure, which can be shared by multiple operators to lower costs, increase competition, minimize physical disruption to the city, and incentivize private-sector investments to reach and serve customers." New York City wants to ensure universal access to both wired and mobile Internet, with a fiber network that offers home Internet and provides bandwidth to mobile services.... The city itself "will invest in new infrastructure that can be shared by multiple broadband operators," the plan says. In addition to the city's own "seed investments," New York said it "will leverage public-private partnerships to install, operate, and maintain the infrastructure." The plan estimates that building the needed infrastructure throughout the city would cost $2.1 billion. There's already a lot of fiber conduit in Manhattan and in the Bronx, so much of the construction could be done by pulling fiber cables through existing underground conduits. Aerial fiber installations would also be used heavily.

OK, now just what does this mean? $2.1 billion means just what? You see, just fiber on a pole is $50K per mile, buried is $100K, and you can do the math. Perhaps half of Staten Island? Then we get to Brooklyn, these costs go up an order of magnitude, then to Manhattan!

Then think the Subway system! You want the folks running the Subway, Sanitation, etc running a high tech infrastructure. People who cannot be fired, who have zero technical expertise.

This must be some election scam.