Verizon and Frontier Talk Conditions and Concerns With Calif. PUC
Verizon and Frontier Communications executives warned the leaders of the California Public Utilities Commission last week that the proposed decision approving the companies' merger (see 2512150008) on the condition of delivering 100/20 Mbps broadband to particularly remote areas could be a problem.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
In a set of ex parte filings with the CPUC, Verizon and Frontier said the proposed requirement "would be very difficult and costly," as the specified locations in Frontier's service territory are in "rugged, mountainous terrain." They suggested limits on the conditions and asked that the commission clarify that its broadband deployment mandate is technology neutral.
Verizon also said the proposed decision's requirement that it maintain Frontier’s supplier contracts for five years "would micromanage Verizon’s business and could jeopardize its ability to select the lowest cost and most qualified supplier for particular projects."