Jersey City residents who live in public housing will soon have access to cheap broadband Internet. The city has partnered with New Jersey-based ISP Andrena, which will provide affordable broadband services to low-income families. Andrena will offer a 50Mbps plan for $20 per month and a 100Mbps plan for $32 per month.
“The digital surge during the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live, work, and educate, and it has put an urgency on the need to close the digital divide,” said Mayor Steven Fulop. “That’s why we’re investing in the necessary infrastructure within our public housing developments, so that our neediest families are afforded equitable opportunities in education, employment, and beyond.”
Last year, the Jersey City Housing Authority contracted Andrena to wire four JCHA public housing developments. The list includes Booker T Washington, Curries Woods, and Marion Gardens.
Around the same time, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) began providing Wi-Fi subsidies to eligible households via the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program. The temporary program offered a $50 monthly discount to low-income households. However, the EBB was recently made permanent and renamed the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The new ACP program, backed by $14 million in funding, provides low-income families with a $30/month Internet subsidy. Eligible Jersey City residents can apply for the ACP and use it to pay for Andrena’s already-low prices, thereby getting broadband Internet for free.
Andrena is available to residents in a number of other buildings in Jersey City, including 201 St Pauls and Metropolis Towers. Any resident who qualifies for the ACP program in those buildings can get free internet service as well. Residents who want to bring Andrena Internet to their apartment can contact Andrena vis this link.
Who qualifies for the ACP subsidy?
Households qualify for the ACP program if at least one member qualifies for Medicaid or SNAP benefits; receives free or reduced school lunch; is a PELL grant recipient; or the household income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty limit. (You can check eligibility via the ACP website).
