The
communications revolution is moving at light speed in New Jersey as Verizon has passed
more than 1 million homes and businesses in the state with FiOS,
the nation’s most-advanced digital, all-fiber-optic broadband network. The company
expects to pass more than 400,000 additional homes and businesses in New Jersey during
2008.
Verizon made the announcement as New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine joined Verizon Chairman
and CEO Ivan Seidenberg at a ceremony in Freehold to officially open the company’s
newest fiber solutions center, a state-of-the-art customer-service facility that provides
one-stop shopping for all fiber-related sales and customer-service needs.
To date, Verizon has added about 100 jobs at the Freehold facility and expects to
have up to 400 employees working there by the end of 2008.
Verizon’s FiOS network offers state-of-the-art fiber optics directly to customers’
homes and businesses. This is unlike cable TV systems and has never been done on a
large scale before in the United States. Since bringing FiOS to New Jersey just two
years ago, Verizon has deployed the network in about 250 cities and towns, and now
provides service to as many communities in the state as cable companies that have
been in business for decades but choose not to compete against one another.
Virginia Ruesterholz, president of Verizon Telecom, said, “Verizon is the only company
providing fiber all the way to homes and businesses where it makes a huge difference
in the voice, Internet and TV service customers receive. FiOS is the most reliable
voice, the best TV picture quality and the fastest Internet. Period.”
Verizon started large-scale construction of its fiber network in New Jersey in 2005.
Since that time, the company has passed more than 1 million premises with its FiOS
network in urban, suburban and rural areas throughout the state.
Verizon is employing nearly 2,000 technicians and contractors to deploy and install
FiOS service around New Jersey. The company passes nearly 40,000 homes each month
with new fiber.
About a year ago, Verizon put construction of the network into high gear after Corzine
and the state Legislature approved a new statewide video franchise law. The consumer-focused
measure replaced the traditional, antiquated town-by-town franchise process. As a
result, Verizon pledged a $1.5 billion-dollar investment in fiber in New Jersey. Hundreds
of thousands of New Jersey residents now benefit from video choice and competition.