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WEST VIRGINIA RECORD

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Morrisey provides one-year progress report on Frontier settlement

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CHARLESTON — Frontier Communications has increased internet speeds for approximately 30 percent of customers impacted by its estimated $160 million settlement with West Virginia, according to the state Attorney General's office.

Frontier entered into the settlement to resolve complaints about internet speeds provided to its customers. The agreement, announced in December 2015, marked the largest, independently negotiated consumer protection settlement in West Virginia history.

“There’s been over $60 million invested to increase speeds and connectivity,” Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said in a press release. “We’re going to continue to follow this through because we know at the end that’s $160 million that benefits the state of West Virginia.”

The agreement requires Frontier to invest at least $150 million in capital expenditures to increase internet speeds across West Virginia and lower monthly rates for affected consumers.

Frontier, to date, has spent $61.5 million in capital expenditures, funds which the company reports has increased internet speeds to 8,330 customers throughout West Virginia, according to the company’s most recent quarterly report filed with the Attorney General’s office.

Between 2013 and 2015, Morrisey's office received multiple complaints from customers paying for Frontier’s high-speed service, which advertised Internet speeds up to 6 megabits per second.

Many consumers said Frontier service was slow or did not meet expectations. The subsequent investigation found many customers expecting Internet speeds “up to 6 Mbps” frequently received speeds 1.5 Mbps or lower.

Frontier denied any allegation of wrongdoing and entered into the settlement to resolve disputed claims without the necessity of protracted and expensive litigation.

The settlement specifically required Frontier to invest $150 million in addition to its $180 million in planned upgrades as part of the federal government’s Connect America Fund II.

The discounted monthly rate set bills for approximately 27,500 affected customers at $9.99 – a reduction expected to cost Frontier $6.25 million per year, which will shrink with time as the discount remains in effect until mandated improvements allow Frontier to increase existing download speeds to meet its advertisement.

Those with further questions are asked to contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 800-368-8808 or visit the office online at www.wvago.gov.

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