State grant will bring Brightspeed fiber to more than 2,000 Warren County households, officials say

County Public Works Director Emily Hammer told commissioners April 23 that the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has conferred a grant to Brightspeed to install fiber‑optic internet service to more than 2,000 households in Warren County.

Hammer said the municipalities included in the award are Blairstown, Frelinghuysen, Hardwick, Hope, Independence, Knowlton, Liberty, Mansfield, Oxford and White townships. She characterized the award as a step toward broader availability and said work is under way to extend service to areas the Federal Communications Commission previously reported as served but where residents lacked usable service.

Commissioners and staff framed the project as a long‑running effort that required municipal participation. Commissioner Lori Ciesla thanked municipal volunteers and officials for compiling the household data that supported the grant application and said additional state and federal funding could follow to improve affordability and access.

County Administrator Alex J. Lazorisak and other officials did not specify an exact award amount in the meeting minutes; Hammer said work had started on related county road projects where utility relocations were required. No formal vote was recorded on the Brightspeed award at the April 23 meeting; the item was presented as part of department reports and will require separate contracts or coordination between Brightspeed, the county and affected municipalities for construction and rights‑of‑way.