Verizon is in the process of hiring 1,800 additional technicians as its broadband network expands.
The roles will primarily focus on building, maintaining, and installing FiOS home internet. Hiring is going on throughout its East Coast territory.
Many of the positions will be based in areas where Verizon has committed to expanding internet service in rural and underserved communities, with funding provided in part by the American Rescue Plan (ARP).
Verizon plans to add a couple of thousand homes to its Delaware territory in Camden, Dover, Smyrna, Bridgeville and Ocean View with $6 million in Rescue Plan funding. Some beach areas will have acccess to ths company’s high-speed wireless service.
Delaware’s strategy to reach all households in the state is to pay broadband companies to expand beyond their current territories.
“Verizon is excited to bring well-paying, middle-class, jobs to communities throughout the East Coast,” said Tony Lewis, vice president of of State and Government Affairs. “These jobs help empower individuals and their community and are made possible by local and state governments partnering with Verizon to expand high-speed broadband access to their residents.”
The new hires will be represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) or the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). All 1,800 roles are expected to be filled by July 2026.
It marks a change from a time when Verizon seemed poised to sell off the entire FiOS network after unloading systems in California and other areas outside the East Coast.
Adding FiOS also gives Verizon the opportunity to pull out copper wires that were part of its earlier telephone system. The company has also faced controversy over lead cables, with Verizon indicating that it did not detect any contamination.
FiOS systems often operate alongside Comcast Xfinity broadband systems in many Delaware towns and cities, the one exception being Wilmington. The competition has been viewed as a reason Delaware has among the nation’s highest broadband speeds.
Verizon also competes for customers in the MIddletown with Breezline, a Canadian company formerly known as Atlantic Broadband. Scattered areas of the state on the beach and elsewhere are served by Mediacom.
Verizon is also offering options to “cord cutters” who use Internet access but are using streaming services rather than cable TV.
Further information is available at open roles or the talent network. Jobs listed in Delaware as of Tuesday did not include FiOS-related positiions.
