WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Communication Workers of America has been one of the loudest critics of Frontier Communications but that’s not the case with Frontier’s attempt to secure 70% of what’s available for West Virginia in federal grant funds to expand broadband.
CWA District 2-13 Vice President Ed Mooney said Frontier is the only company that can make a substantial difference when it comes to broadband in the Mountain State.
“With the largest share of the geography and the largest number of employees readily available in the state to build this network, they’re going to be in the best position to actually complete it,” Mooney said.
Frontier won bids for $245 million of the $362 million available in the FCC grants. Mooney sent a letter last week to FCC chairman Ajit Pai in opposition to a letter from most members of the state Senate who have called for the FCC to think twice about awarding any grants to Frontier.
The union has criticized the company in the past including playing a role in a state Public Service Commission audit of the company’s service issues. But Mooney said the union is confident the new-look Frontier emerging from bankruptcy will have a different outlook that will produce different results.
“They’re going to be better positioned to actually invest their own money as well as apply the federal funding effectively and that’s the shortest distance between the two points of getting the build-out of broadband across the state of West Virginia,” Mooney said.
Ed Mooney, International VP of the @CWADistrict213, talks with @HoppyKercheval about his support of Frontier’s bid to provide more broadband service in WV. WATCH: https://t.co/wkudfIRZCB pic.twitter.com/KDDWsla4vB
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) December 23, 2020
Mooney said the CWA is willing to take Frontier at its word that it will be a better company.
“We have to take them at their word with this new leadership and as they emerge from bankruptcy they’re going to shed a lot of debt load that they had which was causing a lack of investment in the state,” he said.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito said last week on MetroNews “Talkline” the Frontier bids should be rejected and the projects rebid. Mooney said Capito’s office told him they just want the FCC to put Frontier under close scrutiny to make sure what’s been promised gets done. Mooney said he has no problem with that request.
Frontier has approximately 1,200 workers in West Virginia. Mooney said the state takes a chance if the grants are rebid on a company coming in with workers from outside the state.
“We believe a new day is coming for the state of West Virginia and we want to see this network built out by our members and by workers across the state of West Virginia,” Mooney said.