In the spring of 2004, Verizon told New Jersey that because their state Board of Public Utilities ruled they could only "moderately increase" the wholesale rates the telco charges its competitors, the state might not see Verizon Fios as punishment. At the time, Verizon stated "it is difficult to make a case to the corporation to invest here given the regulatory environment." The threat worked and the state ultimately decided to see things Verizon's way.

Via the "Fios on a stick" approach, Verizon also got the state to pass a law creating a state-wide cable franchise. As the AP notes, Verizon was the first company to apply for such a franchise late last week. According to the telco, Verizon has more than 1,000 technicians building the fiber network in New Jersey and expects to hire additional technicians in the coming months.