Officials broke ground Monday on a federally funded broadband expansion meant to overhaul internet access across Cumberland and Salem counties, gathering in Elmer for a ceremony marking the start of construction on roughly 220 route miles of new fiber infrastructure. The South Jersey Middle Mile Broadband Project has a total cost of $34,538,131.62, with $24,176,692.13 covered by federal funding, officials said.
U.S. Representative Jeff Van Drew, who represents New Jersey's 2nd District, attended the groundbreaking, as reported by the Press of Atlantic City. The project is intended to help smaller providers compete and make broadband more affordable. Potential benefits include connecting schools, healthcare providers and public safety agencies, as well as supporting economic development.
The project traces back to June 2023, when the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration awarded an initial $24.18 million federal grant to construct roughly 220 route miles of fiber across Cumberland and Salem counties, according to a U.S. Senate press release. That early federal commitment, part of the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, was designed to build interlocking fiber rings that would let smaller internet providers compete in rural markets long dominated by a handful of carriers.
A Shift in Who's Running the Show
Behind the scenes, the project has changed hands. The Salem County Board voted in March to accept the lead administrative role for the federal middle-mile grant after Cumberland County stepped aside from primary management of the award, per a post shared in a local Facebook group tracking the project. Salem County now manages the grant in coordination with the Cumberland County Improvement Authority.
The project is intended to enable smaller internet providers to enter rural markets long dominated by a handful of carriers.
Contracts Already in Motion
Salem County has already locked in major contracts to get the fiber in the ground. The county awarded $6.23 million to Millennium Communications Group Inc. for construction and $3.85 million to Graybar Electric Co. Inc. for fiber supply, according to Salem County government records tied to adopted resolutions.
Monday's event in Elmer followed a separate broadband grant-award ceremony in June 2025.
State Money and Local Last-Mile Plans Layer In
The middle-mile backbone doesn't connect directly to individual homes, which is where a separate web of state and local funding comes in. In June 2025, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities launched a $40 million Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Equity pilot program, awarding $9.9 million to Salem County and $9.5 million to Penns Grove for local broadband deployment, according to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. That state program targets connecting more than 9,000 unserved broadband locations across seven New Jersey counties.
In Cumberland County, the City of Vineland received $3.7 million in 2025 under that same state program to begin planning a municipal fiber network estimated to cost between $35 million and $40 million, one that would tie into the regional middle-mile ring, according to Community Broadband Networks.
Why the Timing Matters Locally
The groundbreaking lands amid a broader conversation about rural infrastructure needs in South Jersey. During a Salem County candidate forum in September, Van Drew gave prerecorded remarks about the middle-mile project, while candidate Mullock discussed Medicare and Medicaid; roughly 180,000 South Jersey residents rely on those programs, according to The News of Salem County. The regional fiber ring is now moving from paperwork and procurement into construction in Elmer.
