Mayor Bill de Blasio will have a tough act to follow when he talks tech on Monday.
In what’s being billed as “his first major speech to the city’s tech industry,” de Blasio is expected to present his plan for improving broadband Internet access for New Yorkers.
Certainly, the Big Apple’s thriving tech scene is hoping de Blasio will discuss the hot topic when he gives the keynote speech at Internet Week New York.
“The tech industry drinks broadband like water,” said Venrock partner David Pakman, who listed broadband as the city’s top priority.
The mayor’s counsel, Maya Wiley, has been tasked with talking up the mayor’s plan at the annual industry gathering. Other agenda items the mayor is expected to address include:
– Immigration reform to lure more computer engineers to NYC;
– Increased support for existing tech hubs, including transit improvements to places like Brooklyn’s Dumbo;
– Investments in tech startups using the city’s pension fund money.