Newark Mayor Ras Baraka joined fellow public officials and telecom provider Andrena on Thursday, April 4, to announce an expansion of the city’s Newark Fiber program to more than 1,600 Newark families living in public housing. — Courtesy: Invest Newark
By Joshua Burd
More than 1,600 Newark families living in public housing are getting affordable high-speed internet access as part of an outgrowth of the city’s celebrated Newark Fiber program.
Mayor Ras Baraka announced last week that the initiative, part of a public private-partnership that centers on a network of high-end fiber optic cable that runs throughout the city, is expanding via a partnership with the telecom provider Andrena. That’s slated to bring ultra-fast, low-cost broadband into 14 Newark Housing Authority buildings, with installations already underway and more than 150 units having signed up.
“The launch of Connect Newark: Andrena – A Newark Fiber Collaboration, will be a game changer for thousands of people living in our city,” Baraka said. “High-speed internet will enable Newarkers to take well-paid jobs from home, plus access online education and telehealth appointments. In today’s digital age, it is vital that we afford equal opportunities for Newark residents to thrive.”
According to a news release, each family will be able to purchase the service for just $20 per month, a fraction of the average market rate of $75 per month or more, saving them nearly $700 a year. Baraka added that the service will allow residents to connect to remote learning, video calls, streaming services, online banking and more, while they’ll also have access to free WiFi in common areas within and around the public housing buildings.
Newly connected affordable housing developments in properties are located across Newark’s five wards, including:
- 963 and 991 Frelinghuysen Ave.
- 100 and 122 Ludlow St.
- 801, 789 and 815 North 6th St.
- 880, 900 and 920 Franklin Ave.
- 31 and 35 Van Vechten St.
- 516 Bergen St.
- 214 South St.
Newark Fiber is an affiliate of Invest Newark, an economic development organization, providing gigabit internet connections to more than 70 municipal and commercial buildings in the city in addition to parks and commercial corridors.
“We are honored to have been selected by Newark Fiber to deliver low-cost internet service to the city, making connectivity more accessible, affordable and usable than ever before,” said Neil Chatterjee, co-founder and CEO of Andrena.
Aaron Meyerson, chief innovation economy officer and director of broadband at Invest Newark and the Newark Alliance, added: “Our goal is to offer connectivity options to Newark residents that previously could only access or afford the internet at home through their phone’s data plan, if at all. We’ve also identified ways for Newark residents to learn job skills. This was made possible by Newark’s unique municipal fiber network, Newark Fiber, which provides the internet for Andrena to serve residential customers. This full alignment of real estate, connectivity, workforce training and affordable internet is how the city of Newark is leading the way forward.”
Newark officials noted that the city has a digital divide caused by the lack of access and adoption of broadband. According to 2022 U.S. Census numbers, nearly one in five city households do not have an internet subscription at home, while 9 percent of families lack a computer.
Andrena worked with local telecom companies, including Black-owned and Newark-based TeknoGRID, and Brooklyn-based BlocPower, to train local residents to install the service, the news release said. TeknoGRID trained and hired three Newarkers to perform on-site installations, with BlocPower training eight formerly incarcerated residents on broadband deployment.
“On-the-job training is a critical skill-building component of our program, which can only happen if we’re hired for telecom projects,” said Marland Jenkins, founder and CEO of TeknoGRID. “We are grateful to companies like Andrena who provide these types of opportunities for our trainees!”
Leonard J. Spicer, executive director of the Newark Housing Authority, added: “We are proud to be a part of this transformative collaboration that aligns perfectly with our commitment to fostering vibrant, connected communities. This initiative opens doors to new opportunities, educational resources and economic growth for our residents.”
