In New Jersey, Verizon's FiOS TV is available now to approximately 250,000 households in parts of 106 communities in Bergen, Camden, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic, Somerset and Union counties. The service will soon be expanded to hundreds of thousands of additional households in more than 100 additional communities. Under the state's new streamlined video franchise law, Verizon has announced plans to offer FiOS TV over its all-fiber network in more than 300 communities in the next few years.



Verizon launched the service in New Jersey Thursday at the company's video hub office in Freehold. The new, state-of-the-art video distribution center receives video signals from Verizon's super-head-end offices and then distributes the programming throughout the state over the new fiber network.

Cablevision responded to Verizon's IPTV announcement by saying, "[Cablevision] Optimum households receive the most robust digital television service, the fastest Internet and Optimum Voice, which is wildly popular and offers far better value than the phone company's. Our fiber-rich network is available throughout our entire service area today and is built for enormous capacity for tomorrow."

"We're looking forward to quickly offering consumers in New Jersey the industry's absolute best product in home entertainment," said William Foshay, senior vice president and general manager, Verizon New Jersey. "We're delivering a product that customers are demanding and no other company can match: a superior TV service with more channels, more choice and more value, delivered on an all-fiber, next-generation network. Customers will also be delighted with the new interactive features we announced this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, including our new interactive media guide that makes watching FiOS TV easier and better than ever."

Consumers can check online at Verizon to see if FiOS TV is already available in their area or to request that Verizon contact them when FiOS TV is available. Consumers also can call their local Verizon sales office or 1-877-4-FIOS-TV (1-877-434-6788).

Verizon's FiOS TV Premier package delivers 200 all-digital channels for $42.99 per month. The package includes more than 20 high-definition (HD) channels in the New Jersey market and access to more than 4,000 on-demand titles, 60 percent of which are free.

Verizon offers three set-top boxes: standard definition for $4.99 per month; high definition, which includes HD channels, for $9.99 per month; and a dual-tuner, HD-capable digital video recorder for $12.99 per month.

Verizon also offers innovative features not available from other providers, such as Home Media DVR (digital video recorder) and FiOS TV Widgets. Home Media DVR, at $19.99 per month, has a multiroom DVR feature enabling up to three simultaneous viewings of recorded programs without requiring customers to set up a complex home network or buy extra equipment. Customers also can access photos and music on their PCs and play them on their TVs.