CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Utilities Division Staff at the state Public Service Commission has made an initial filing in connection with Verizon’s request to take over Frontier Communications in West Virginia.
The Staff said it has notified both companies of several areas of concern that will need to be addressed as the filing continued to be evaluated.
The issues listed in the filing include “the lack of copper infrastructure maintenance while the fiber network is being built; the lack of reliability in the West Virginia E911 network; extended customer out of service situations occurring in the existing copper network; the lack of timely and complete responses to requests made by the Commission; pole related issues including the pole attachment process; discontinuance of offering DSL in areas that currently have no other internet service options; and missed service appointments and appointments with extended date dues.”
The companies announced plans to merge nationally in September with Verizon being the controlling company. The transaction includes Frontier West Virginia.
It would be a reversal of what happened nearly 15 years ago when Frontier purchased Verizon’s landline operations in the Mountain State.
“West Virginia will greatly benefit from the Transaction,” the Oct. 31 filing said. “Verizon’s recognized leadership in building and deploying cutting-edge networks and its commitment to prioritizing consumer choice while serving local communities will benefit West Virginia consumers.”