Saturday, February 20, 2010
Consumer Advocate Division Urges Verizon/Frontier Sale Rejection
WEST VIRGINIA....
The West Virginia state Public Service Commission's staff and Consumer Advocate Division filed a report Friday asking that Frontier Communications' application to buy Verizon's telephone landlines in West Virginia be rejected. They say Frontier and Verizon failed to file any details about the proposed $8.6 billion deal, but, instead, only submitted "general information" about the transaction. The Consumer Advocate Division alleges they didn't even file the merger agreement and 11 other associated documents. "It was not put into evidence in the case. Verizon has called the accusations "outlandish", while saying all required paperwork and testimony was filed. The consumer division and agency staff says, if the PSC doesn't dismiss the proposed purchase outright, it should reject the sale because it's not in the public's best interest. They recommended that, if the sale is approved, the PSC require Verizon to spend $150 million to clean up the mess they have created in the state. Verizon says it has spent millions to improve its West Virginia landline network, and there is no "mess" to clean up.
The West Virginia state Public Service Commission's staff and Consumer Advocate Division filed a report Friday asking that Frontier Communications' application to buy Verizon's telephone landlines in West Virginia be rejected. They say Frontier and Verizon failed to file any details about the proposed $8.6 billion deal, but, instead, only submitted "general information" about the transaction. The Consumer Advocate Division alleges they didn't even file the merger agreement and 11 other associated documents. "It was not put into evidence in the case. Verizon has called the accusations "outlandish", while saying all required paperwork and testimony was filed. The consumer division and agency staff says, if the PSC doesn't dismiss the proposed purchase outright, it should reject the sale because it's not in the public's best interest. They recommended that, if the sale is approved, the PSC require Verizon to spend $150 million to clean up the mess they have created in the state. Verizon says it has spent millions to improve its West Virginia landline network, and there is no "mess" to clean up.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 5:01 AM 
