The New York City government has released an “Internet Master Plan” that calls for universal broadband throughout the five boroughs, relying on open-access fiber networks that can be used by multiple ISPs.

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.

There’s often a big difference between municipal plans and reality, of course.  The New York City plan has raised excitement, though. Gigi Sohn, a consumer advocate and former Federal Communications Commission official, called NYC’s plan “the most thoughtful and comprehensive blueprint by any major city to ensure that every resident and small business has affordable and open access to high-performance broadband.” Sohn argued that states and municipalities must act because the “federal government has failed to meet the broadband needs of tens of millions of Americans.”

More at Ars Technica.