Ground commoning conductors for electrical connector assemblies

A connector assembly includes a housing having a base having signal contact channels and ground contact channels extending therethrough having ground contact channel walls defining the ground contact channels. The connector assembly includes signal contacts held in signal contact channels having mating ends for mating with mating signal contacts. The connector assembly includes ground contacts held in ground contact channels having mating ends for mating with mating ground contacts. The connector assembly includes ground commoning conductors within the housing including metal surface coverings deposited on the corresponding ground contact channel walls. Each ground commoning conductor extends into at least two ground contact channels and is oriented for direct electrical contact with at least two of the ground contacts or the mating ground contacts for electrically commoning the corresponding ground contacts or the mating ground contacts.