Verizon is bringing to 24 New Jersey communities one of the most significant advancements in telecommunications technology in the past 100 years.

The company today announced it is rolling out a fiber-optic network that will deliver faster data speeds and crystal clear voice to residence and business customers. This transformational upgrade to Verizon's network also has the capability to offer a full suite of video services. Verizon had suspended the project a year ago because of an adverse regulatory climate in New Jersey, a situation that is improving.

The 24 communities where the project is underway are: Allendale, Alpine, Closter, Demarest, Franklin Lakes, Harrington Park, Mahwah, Northvale, Norwood, Oakland, Old Tappan, Ramsey, Rockleigh, Westwood and Wyckoff in Bergen County; the city of Passaic; Ewing, Lawrence and Pennington in Mercer County; Mendham Township and Rockaway Boro in Morris County; Tinton Falls in Monmouth County and Evesham and Medford in Burlington County.



Acting Governor Richard J. Codey welcomed Verizon's FTTP efforts.

"Verizon's decision to build its fiber-optic network in our state is a win for all of New Jersey," Codey said. "This investment will not only improve existing services for New Jersey's businesses and residents, it will also create new jobs and new opportunities for the state.

"It is important that New Jersey has the latest available technology infrastructure so that we stay competitively strong. We look forward to working with Verizon to expand the uses of this technology to benefit other areas within the state."

Today's announcement comes about a year after the company suspended its fiber-to-the premises (FTTP) deployment plans for New Jersey because the regulatory environment in the state did not compare favorably with the other states competing for significant new investment. But Verizon New Jersey President Dennis Bone said things are beginning to change.

"We have always said that New Jersey is a great market, and we want to offer this transformational technology here," he said.

"In the past year, there have been signs that the overall investment climate in our state has been improving," he said. "The new administration and key state leaders have shown a clear interest in improving our state's competitiveness by fostering more infrastructure investment and economic development. Their willingness to listen and their encouragement have given us the confidence to proceed with building this communications network of the future."

FTTP uses hair-thin strands of fiber and optical electronics to directly link homes and businesses to Verizon's network. The state-of-the-art network upgrade will unleash a range of advanced communication services.

Verizon's all-fiber system is capable of carrying a competitive choice to the existing cable television providers. The company will seek a franchise agreement before offering cable television service in a selected community.

Although the use of fiber optics is common for long-distance and inter-city communications throughout the telecommunications industry, Verizon is one of the first major telecom companies to begin using it to directly connect homes and businesses to the network on a widespread scale.

Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney is seeing first-hand the placement of fiber optics in his area. "I'm pleased that Bergen was one of the first places to receive Verizon's fiber optic technology," he said. "This will make it easier for our residents to enjoy the benefits of ultra-high speed Internet access and eventually the next generation of cable television services."

Today's announcement brings to 14 the number of states where Verizon has begun building its FTTP network. Other states are California, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia. To help build the network across the country, Verizon will hire between 3,000 and 5,000 new employees, including hundreds in New Jersey.

"Verizon's fully fiber-optic network is technically superior to other communication platforms because it offers faster data speeds than those currently available, as well as voice and video capability," said William Foshay, Verizon market area president. "Our fiber engineering creates a network that requires less day-to-day maintenance and allows for proactive and even faster repairs."

Customer reaction to Verizon's new fiber-based Internet access service, called FiOS (FYE'-ose), has been very positive, with broadband subscribers more than doubling in the company's inaugural FiOS market of Keller, Texas, just outside Dallas/Fort Worth. Verizon will notify customers when FiOS is available locally.

The FTTP initiative represents a natural extension of the more than 10 million miles of fiber-optic cable Verizon already has in place and extends the high capacity, speed and quality of fiber directly to the customer's doorstep. With FTTP technology, Verizon can easily add more capacity, higher speeds or future video services.