Grants to fund broadband expansion

The state Board of Public Utilities (BPU) has approved $40 million in grants to support broadband expansion in eight counties, including Sussex.

The money will provide reliable, high-quality internet service to more than 9,000 broadband serviceable locations.

“With these grants, we are making a long-lasting investment in broadband infrastructure in New Jersey that will expand economic opportunity and provide high-quality internet access to thousands of New Jerseyans,” said Gov. Phil Murphy.

“In our digitally interconnected world, we will ensure that our residents have the high-speed internet access they need.”

New Jersey Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Equity (NJBIDE) grant awards will support broadband infrastructure projects in Atlantic, Burlington, Cumberland, Essex, Salem, Sussex and Warren counties.

Grant recipients include the City of Vineland, County of Salem, Borough of Penns Grove, Brightspeed (Connect Holding II) and Verizon New Jersey.

Brightspeed was awarded about $9.8 million to bring broadband service to 3,315 locations in Sussex and Warren counties, including 2,172 households, 1,113 businesses and 30 community institutions.

Of the total, 2,834 now are unserved locations and 481 are underserved.

The work is expected to be mostly completed by the end of 2026.

Bridging digital divide

The grant recipients were chosen for their commitment to bridging the digital divide and delivering high-speed internet access to unserved and underserved communities.

“This historic investment to ‘connect the unconnected’ answers the call we have heard throughout the state,” said Christine Guhl-Sadovy, BPU president. “Access to broadband is a necessity in the modern world and the funding awarded through the NJBIDE program will help connect areas not currently served by a high-quality internet connection, spurring opportunity, economic growth and putting social mobility within reach for communities and families throughout the Garden State.”

Funded through the U.S. Treasury Department’s Capital Projects Fund (CPF), the NJBIDE pilot program is a competitive grant initiative designed to bring high-speed internet access to areas with limited or no connectivity. It addresses the need for expanded broadband infrastructure, enabling work, education, health monitoring and other critical services that became even more essential during the pandemic.

The NJBIDE grant awards are the first infrastructure grants awarded by the state Office of Broadband Connectivity.

The Treasury Department has approved New Jersey’s plan to invest more than $50 million from the CPF to expand broadband infrastructure in the state.

The NJBIDE pilot program prioritizes broadband infrastructure in areas that have significant broadband gaps, including rural and economically disadvantaged areas, and prioritizes projects that demonstrate investments in fiber-optic infrastructure solutions with internet speeds of 100/100 Mbps upon completion and provide at least one low-cost option to serve communities.