New Jersey Awards Major Grants to Improve Broadband Internet Access

Five years ago, when Americans were forced to stay at home because of the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdowns, a reality that many people didn't realize came to the forefront, and it has taken years for many states to rectify the issue.

Over a third of all United States residents live in either Rural Areas or low-income areas, and those people have trouble getting access to Broadband Internet. From the lack of infrastructure in rural areas to the limited options for affordable internet access, a world that has a growing dependence to using smartphones and laptops is considered a luxury for some Americans.

In recent years, many states have worked to rectify these issues by investing public funds into improving broadband internet infrastructure. This is happening because some internet providers view the option of improving infrastructure as not a worthy investment of resources.

What New Jersey Is Doing To Improve Internet Access

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has announced the investment of $40 million into providing high-quality internet service to seven counties with underserved residents.

The New Jersey Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Equity (NJBIDE) Pilot Program has awarded grants for the following areas of the state:

-Atlantic
-Burlington
-Cumberland
-Essex
-Salem
-Sussex
-Warren

The NJBPU is awarding $6.3 million to Verizon and $9.8 million to Brightspeed, with the stipulation that the grant money must be used for internet broadband infrastructure improvements and work done by December 2026.

Two of the largest grants for municipalities are $9.5 million to Penns Grove and $9.9 million to Salem. Along with $3.7 million award to Vineland, these funds will be used to upgrade broadband internet access in low-income and rural areas.

NJBPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy gave the following statement in conjunction with the press release about this $40 million investment:

“We are absolutely thrilled that we are entering the deployment and construction phase of this historic expansion of broadband connectivity for the underserved communities in the State; The NJBIDE program is dedicated to securing New Jersey's future by ensuring that every resident, regardless of their background or where they live, has the digital services necessary to thrive in our increasingly interconnected world.”

Over 50 percent of New Jersey is either Forrest or Rural areas. Here are some of the most popular Farmers Markets in The Garden State: