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# New Jersey Launches $40M Broadband Expansion
- URL: https://broadbandbreakfast.com/new-jersey-launches-40m-broadband-expansion/
- Published: 2025-07-08T19:46:38.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-11T05:50:17.000Z
- Description: Brightspeed alone expects to receive $9.8 million
- Author: Jennifer Michel
- Tags: Funding, #with-siderail, Rural, New Jersey, Troy Singleton, Brightspeed, John Mizerak, American Rescue Plan, Digital Equity, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, Taryn Boland, ARPA

July 8, 2025 – The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities announced the launch of a [$40 million effort](https://archive.is/MG7rG?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com#selection-4005.0-4005.99) to extend high-speed internet service to remote and underserved areas of the state. 

The program, entitled New Jersey's Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Equity, will prioritize fiber-optic infrastructure offering at least 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) speeds and will provide at least one low-cost option for each community. 

“This has been years in the making,” said **Taryn Boland**, the BPU's chief of staff, [speaking at an event](https://www.youtube.com/live/NJO2rRezJPQ?si=WPD2CCrf2HvgaFN4&ref=broadbandbreakfast.com) in Salem County on June 25 to officially mark the beginning of this major effort towards closing the digital divide in New Jersey. “Broadband access is critical and the impact it has on our communities is immense.”

[![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/97/29976d9d-89ea-4c77-8c0b-0e8a0eafed35/content/images/2025/06/bead_event_base_graphic-1.png)](https://broadbandbreakfast.com/speeding-bead-summit) 

***FROM SPEEDING BEAD SUMMIT**  
***Panel 1: How Are States Thinking About Reasonable Costs Now?**  
***Panel 2: Finding the State Versus Federal Balance in BEAD**  
***Panel 3: Reacting to the New BEAD NOFO Guidance**  
***Panel 4: Building, Maintaining and Adopting Digital Workforce Skills**

[All Videos from Speeding BEAD Summit ](https://broadbandbreakfast.com/speeding-bead-summit) 

The state expects broadband service to be extended to more than 9,000 locations through the initiative, including the less densely populated Atlantic and Cumberland counties, located in the southeastern part of the state.

Entities set to receive grants to make this vision a reality include public and private partners, Vineland, Salem County, Brightspeed, and Verizon New Jersey Inc., chosen for their “commitment to bridging the digital divide and delivering high-speed internet access to unserved and underserved communities.” 

Brightspeed alone expects to receive $9.8 million, which the company said will greatly accelerate its mission of closing the state’s digital divide for thousands of homes and businesses. Directing its attention to Sussex and Warren Counties, Brightspeed plans to deploy fiber to an estimated 3,315 locations, including 1,113 businesses, 2,172 homes, and 30 community anchor institutions.

“High-speed internet isn’t a luxury anymore; it’s a basic need,” said **John Mizerak**, director of government affairs and public policy at Brightspeed, in a release sent to *Broadband Breakfast*. “These grants allow us to bring dependable, affordable internet to the families and businesses who need it most.”

The program itself is funded by the [American Rescue Plan](https://www.eda.gov/funding/programs/american-rescue-plan?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com), an economic stimulus package enacted in March 2021 under the Biden administration to help communities across America recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.