Verizon Communications filed Thursday for a video franchise in New Jersey that would allow it to offer its FiOS TV service to about 3.1 million households in the state, setting up a new front in its competition with cable operators and satellite providers.

The filing was made under New Jersey’s new streamlined video franchise law. If its franchise is approved by the Board of Public Utilities, Verizon said it expects to begin offering television service in New Jersey in the second half of December.

Verizon plans to offer about 200 channels of digital programming, 20 high-definition channels and video-on-demand as part of its Premiere package for $42.99 a month.

At the end of the third quarter, Verizon had 118,000 FiOS TV customers in Texas, California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Virginia. It has video franchise coverage of about 3 million households in nine states.