ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITH CONNECTED GROUND SHIELDS

An electrical connector includes a plurality of contact modules and ground shields. The ground shields are interleaved with the contact modules within a housing, such that the ground shields alternate with the contact modules. The contact modules include multiple electrical signal conductors held by a dielectric body of the respective contact module. Each of the ground shields includes a plate that defines a bridge slot therethrough and a ground bridge extending from the plate. The ground bridge extends from the plate at a location that is spaced apart from the bridge slot. The ground bridges of the ground shields extend laterally across corresponding contact modules. Distal tips of the ground bridges are received within the bridge slots of adjacent ground shields disposed along opposite sides of the corresponding contact modules, and the distal tips engage edges of the bridge slots to electrically connect the ground shields together.