New York City’s former CTO joins broadband start-up

John Paul Farmer, who was New York City’s Chief Technology Officer until January, has joined fixed wireless broadband provider WeLink as its Chief Innovation Officer and President of Cities.

Farmer told Cities Today he was open-minded about what his next move would be after departing city government. He was “trying to find the thing that would allow me to have the greatest impact” and after  exploring a variety of opportunities was impressed by the disruptive potential of WeLink’s technology and model.

“Broadband is to the 21st century what electricity was to the 20th,” Farmer said. “I joined WeLink because the team here believes that universal broadband is the foundation to an equitable future, and the company has what it takes to deliver on that promise.”

WeLink, which launched in 2018, says its ‘wireless fibre’ technology is faster and more cost-effective to deploy than traditional fibre, making it a scalable solution to help close the digital divide and increase broadband choice and competition.

“We’re offering a solution with no compromise,” said Farmer. “It is possible to have gigabit-speed – ultra-fast, best-in-class speeds – without the disruption of tearing up streets where conduit doesn’t exist. And you can deploy at a cost structure that actually is affordable for everybody.”

City focus

WeLink uses existing fibre, small receivers of approximately four by four inches and mmWave spectrum to create a mesh network.

The service is US$70 a month for a 24-month contract or US$80 for those who pay month to month, and Farmer says federal subsidies mean it can be made available at no cost to low-income residents. Through a loyalty discount scheme, the fee decreases over time after two years.

WeLink is currently available in four US cities – Las Vegas, Henderson, Tucson, and Phoenix – and has several partnerships in international markets.

“The demand is outstripping the ability to fulfil right now and there’s a waiting list but we’re ramping up,” Farmer said, and through his new role he will also be stepping up work to expand to more cities.

“Fixed wireless works very well in dense urban environments so we’re talking to cities and asking them about their needs and where they’d like us to go first,” he said.

“Because of our cost structure, we’ve got the ability to be much more flexible and responsive to the needs of a city when they have a particular community or housing development that needs service.”

Broadband strategies

The role follows Farmer’s work in New York where since 2019 he led on initiatives such as the city’s strategies for artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, as well as the NYC Digital Service and Digital Reserve to increase technology capabilities.

“Out of everything, I think the thing that ultimately over the long run will be the most impactful is the New York City Internet Masterplan,” he said.

The strategy for universal broadband included a US$157 million investment in open access infrastructure and the use of city-owned assets such as rooftops, light poles and street furniture.

Farmer joins WeLink at a time when there is an increased focus on closing the digital divide worldwide and new federal dollars in the US to extend broadband infrastructure.

“It is a really important time to get it right,” he said.

“The good news is everyone’s thinking about [digital equity] now. The bad news is they often don’t know where to start. It’s such a big, difficult problem to address.”

Farmer believes that having a team or person dedicated to the issue within cities is critical.

“No one is against having more and better broadband service options but for most people, it’s not their number one priority,” he said. “There needs to be somebody who wakes up every morning and says: ‘What am I going to do today to ensure that we are actually addressing the digital divide?’”

He also urges cities to develop a formal strategy or take lessons from those that have already been created to “really get the best bang for their buck” and create long-term, sustainable digital equity.

Competition

In previous roles Farmer served as Senior Advisor for Innovation in the White House under President Barack Obama and Director of Technology and Civic Innovation at Microsoft.

“John Paul Farmer is a true innovator, and his extensive track record successfully guiding companies and governments is simply unprecedented,” said Kevin Ross, CEO of WeLink. “We’re excited for him to apply his experience and expertise in technology, policy, finance, and foreign affairs to drive innovation at WeLink. With John on board, we will accelerate our work to bring much-needed competition, choice, affordability, and unparalleled technology to cities across the country.”

Ross is the former co-founder of Vivint Wireless. Utah-headquartered WeLink is backed by Digital Alpha Advisors and a strategic partnership with Cisco Systems.