Newark, New Jersey Partnership to Provide Free Internet to Residents for a Decade Plus

A partnership between Newark Fiber, Citizens Bank, and developer Adenah Bayoh will bring up to 15 years of free internet service to residents of a new apartment building in Newark (NJ). Bayoh approached Citizens Bank for funding to create a new apartment building, called Southside View. Part of the funding request was to provide free internet to residents of the building, and Citizens was willing to contribute. Newark Fiber — a public-private partnership and an initiative of Invest Newark, the city’s economic development organization — was called on to bring internet connectivity to the building. In connecting the Southside View building to fiber internet infrastructure, Newark Fiber is now able to connect other blocks along the route. And the setup for residents of Southside View couldn’t be easier.  “We are providing a connection to the building, and we have routers in every single unit,” said Newark Alliance Chief Innovation Economy Officer and Director of Broadband for the City of Newark Aaron Meyerson. “So, a tenant moves into their unit, they give us a call, we flip a switch, and it’s on for them. There’s no additional setup required.” Meyerson added that residents will have access to Gigabit speeds: “We’re not throttling this connection in any way.” Bayoh said Citizens Bank gave $500,000 to provide both free internet and free tutoring for children who live in Southside View.