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Headlines about the Verizon-Frontier Plan Statement of IBEW President Ed Hill on FairPoint Bankruptcy Verizon-Frontier phone deal opposed by consumer advocates WASHINGTON — Federal regulators should reject a proposed merger of the landline telephone operations of Verizon Communications Inc. and Frontier Communications Corp. because it isn’t in the public interest, a nationwide organization of utility consumer advocates said. (Click here to read more) Watchdog group challenges Verizon-Frontier deal CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A national group of public utility watchdogs asked the Federal Communications Commission on Monday to reject Frontier Communications' plan to buy telephone lines from Verizon in West Virginia and 13 other states. The National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates says the risks of the $8.6 billion deal outweigh potential benefits.(Click here to read more) Sounds like Verizon would be only winner Dear Editor: Regarding the recent letter published in the Marion Star on Sept. 15 from Steve Crosby of Frontier Communications, I would like to ask, where is the proof that Frontier Communications can do what it claims? Going by the numbers of this and other deals Frontier has with Verizon, I don't think it can myself but let's look at the facts. Frontier would be taking on an additional 4.8 million phone lines both small-business and residential in addition to the 2.3 million they operate now. They will be taking on all of Verizon's lines in 13 states other than Ohio not including assets in California in the border areas. Verizon expects $3.3 billion from the units prior to selling them by having Frontier pay cash and allowing Frontier and the units to assume the debt. Verizon shareholders will receive one share of Frontier for every 4.2 shares of Verizon stock depending on the price of Frontier shares at closing of the deal. (Click here to read more) New Frontier
Story by Walt Williams Yes, you can hear them now, but come next year Verizon officials say that could change for some customers. The company has no intention of pulling its wireless operations out of West Virginia, so its thousands of cell phone customers likely won't notice any changes in service. But Verizon is planning to sell all its landlines in the state to Frontier Communications, a New York-based company that bills itself as one of the nation's largest independent telecommunications providers. If you talk to officials from both companies, it's a match made in telecommunications heaven. Verizon wants to focus largely on its cell phone operations. Frontier wants to provide telephone and high-speed Internet access to those rural areas most other providers avoid... (Click here to read more) In Hawaii, echoes of FairPoint By CHELSEA CONABOY A small telecommunications company buys rural landlines from Verizon. Its computer systems fail, causing major headaches for customers, many of whom switch carriers. The company charges toward bankruptcy. Sound familiar? FairPoint Communications isn't the only company that has struggled financially and operationally since taking over a Verizon network. .. (Click here to read more) PUCO Suspends Verizon/Frontier Application COLUMBUS— The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio on Wednesday, June 17, suspended the application filed by Frontier Communication Corp., New Communications Holdings Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. that seeks PUCO approval of a change in ownership. Upon review of the application and motions filed by the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel and Cincinnati Bell Extended Territories, the commission suspended the application "to ensure that the application is not deemed approved by operation of law." The Ohio Revised Code states that if the commission doesn’t issue an order within 30 days of the filing of an application to change ownership, the application is considered to be approved under law... (Click here to read more) Will Regulators Repeat Fairpoint Mistakes With Frontier? 
Ohio state consumer advocate raises questions that will be summarily ignored... With the problems that have plagued Verizon customers in New England, all eyes turn to the regulators who'll rule on Verizon's latest plan to offload of a huge swath of rural customers to Frontier Communications. The $8.5 billion deal immediately infuses Frontier, which has 2.3 million customers, with 4.8 million new residential and small-business phone lines and 1 million broadband connections. 11,000 Verizon employees will be transferred. We've already explored how some customers in South Carolina are stuck in broadband no-man's land until the deal goes down (and perhaps even after). Now Ohio has temporarily suspended their approval of the Verizon/Frontier deal after the Ohio state's utilities consumer advocate started wondering if Frontier... (Click here to read more)
Verizon Sells Phone Lines in 14 States to Frontier Verizon Communications, Inc. agreed to sell local phone businesses in 14 states to Frontier Communications Corp. in a deal valued at $8.6 billion, the latest move by Verizon to focus on markets that are better tailored to its fiber-optic services. The transaction allows Verizon to shed 4.8 million rural phone lines and transfer 11,000 workers to Frontier, which provides phone services in small towns and rural areas. It will triple the size of Frontier... (Click here to read more) |