Verizon Lands Statewide Video Franchise from New Jersey

In a landmark video services event – and in what it likely views as an early Christmas present – Verizon Communications Inc. on Friday was granted a statewide video franchise application by New Jersey regulators, which the telco said will lead to its FiOS IPTV service becoming available to about 100 communities.

The state regulators, operating under new and recently enacted video franchise legislation, became the first state to issue a statewide video franchise.

In related news, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has scheduled a Dec. 20 vote on his proposal to force local governments to sign cable-TV franchise contracts with requesting telecoms within 90 days. The proposal is opposed by cable operators and municipalities.

"With the New Jersey market now open to competition, we will soon offer this service to hundreds of thousands of consumers in about 100 communities, and it will make New Jersey one of the most competitive states in the nation," said Dennis Bone, president of Verizon New Jersey.

The state regulators’ approval comes more than a month after Verizon filed the first state-issued video franchise application under New Jersey's new, pro-consumer video franchise law. In that filing, Verizon announced plans to bring its FiOS television service to 316 communities, or 70 percent of the households in the state, with more to come.

As a result of the approval, Verizon plans to begin marketing its service to communities in Bergen, Camden, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic and Somerset counties in the next few weeks. Additional communities in Essex, Mercer and Union counties will be added in the next couple of months. A complete list of communities will be announced in early January.

Verizon's FiOS TV Premier package delivers 200 all-digital channels for $42.99 per month. The package includes more than 20 high-definition channels and access to approximately 4,000 on-demand titles, 60 percent of which are free. It is delivered over Verizon's FTTP network.

Verizon will contact consumers when its FiOS television services are ready to be marketed and installed. It already provides FiOS Internet Service in nearly 200 communities in the state.

Verizon Communications Inc. wwwverizon.com

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