The public power community of Vineland, N.J., is a recipient of a New Jersey Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Equity grant in the amount of $3.7 million.
The city announced the news in its August 2025 newsletter.
NJBIDE is a competitive grant initiative designed to help bring high-speed internet access to areas in New Jersey with limited or no connectivity.
Initial testing by the Broadband Utility is currently planned for the first quarter of 2026. Specific testing locations are still being finalized, but they are expected to include industrial, educational, and health related locations.
“Broadband access is essential infrastructure for any smart city,” said Vineland Mayor Anthony Fanucci. “We recognized the limitations of private-sector broadband providers in ensuring equitable access in our community, so we created a Municipal Broadband Utility to develop a Vineland specific network.”
The plan the Broadband Utility is developing will incorporate existing public infrastructure where feasible to reduce costs, employing a mix of fiber-optic and wireless technologies for optimal coverage and performance.
“Our team has been working hard with both federal and state entities to secure available grant funding for the project, so we are thrilled those efforts have now paid off. We will continue to seek additional opportunities as they arise,” he said.
