Verizon New Jersey
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Predecessor | New Jersey Bell Telephone Company |
| Founded | 1904 |
| Headquarters | Newark, New Jersey , United States |
Area served | New Jersey |
| Products | Telecommunications services |
| Parent | Verizon Communications |
Verizon New Jersey, Inc., previously known as New Jersey Bell Telephone Company, operates as the Bell Operating Company for the state of New Jersey. After the 1984 Bell System Divestiture, New Jersey Bell was incorporated into Bell Atlantic.
The company originated in 1904 under the name Delaware and Atlantic Telegraph & Telephone Company, providing services in southern New Jersey. It combined with New York Telephone’s New Jersey operations in 1927, adopting the name New Jersey Bell Telephone Company. Maintaining this designation through the 1980s, it was renamed Bell Atlantic - New Jersey, Inc. in 1994. Following the merger between Bell Atlantic and GTE in 2000, it became known as Verizon New Jersey, Inc.. The corporate headquarters are located at the New Jersey Bell Headquarters Building, 540 Broad Street, Newark.
Innovations and firsts
After Bell Labs relocated to New Jersey, Verizon New Jersey became a frequent testing ground for cutting-edge telecommunications technologies:
- 1951 Englewood became the first location where a Bell Operating Company implemented Direct Distance Dialing, enabling long-distance calls without operator involvement.
- 1965 The Succasunna central office hosted the inaugural deployment of the Bell System’s electronic switching equipment, the Western Electric 1ESS.
- 1987 Verizon New Jersey pioneered Caller ID service; initial devices were retailed at Sears stores in Jersey City under the AT&T brand.
- 2006 It was the first entity to apply for a video franchise under New Jersey’s centralized video franchise legislation, establishing itself as the state’s initial statewide competitive "cable company."
These milestones highlight Verizon New Jersey’s pivotal position in driving telecommunications advancements and broadening service offerings throughout the region.