Fiber optic cables being laid on Jersey City Avenue and Route 35 South in Lavallette, Feb. 2023. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
Lavallette officials said at Monday night’s borough council meeting that Verizon would soon begin offering its FiOS TV service in town, an expansion of the company’s current offerings.
Verizon has expanded its fiber optic network to Lavallette over the course of several years as an expansion of its Toms River system. Verizon was mandated under its statewide franchise agreement to offer service in Toms River since it is the county seat, however service was never expanded beyond a short distance into Brick Township and portions of northern Seaside Heights. Lavallette, however, was eventually wired for service, but to date residents have only been able to access the company’s high speed internet product rather than its television product.
According to Verizon’s website, addresses in Lavallette are not yet able to sign up for TV service, but Mayor Walter LaCicero said the company informed the borough that the product will be offered soon. The barrier island is currently seeing a separate upgrade of its connectivity on the part of Altice, which is expanding fiber optic-driven products to homes through a network restructuring. That news was divulged as part of the company’s application to transform a former retail office in Seaside Heights to a switching and backup site.
Verizon offers its FiOS TV product in two plans on its Toms River network, according to the company’s website. For $119 per month, customers can receive 325 channels, a set-top box and DVR service. For $139, there are 425 channels, a set-top box, multi-room DVR and several premium channels. Internet plans are available for an additional cost, though customers can mate internet service with YouTube TV for $72.99 per month for one year, before the price rises to $82.99.
There was no reasoning given for the company’s about-face on offering the TV service in Lavallette. Company representatives have, for years, declined to offer the service and confirmed as much during a number of hearings on unrelated applications to deploy 5G small cell nodes around the borough, which resulted in litigation between Lavallette and the telecom company.
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