WV LAND-LINE PHONE SALE BEING CHALLENGED

(09/29/2009)

A national consumer group is asking the Federal Communications Commission to reject Frontier Communications' plan to buy West Virginia's telephone landlines from Verizon and 13 other states. The National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates is claiming high risks are associated with the $8.6 billion deal. The advocacy group says the sale puts customers at risk of being served by a company that lacks the resources to make necessary improvements to local facilities and to expand broadband Internet access. The WV Public Service Commission is reviewing Frontier's application to buy Verizon's 617,000 phone lines in West Virginia. Verizon has been in hot water with the state PSC, who received hundreds and hundreds of complaints about Verizon's poor service. The company did shell out $11 million for "a service improvement plan." Verizon and other cell phone companies have expressed no interest in improving cell phone service in rural counties like Calhoun. The Calhoun Commission has offered free tower space and electrical power on county 911 towers for outfits that would improve service.

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