In December, consumer advocates and the PUCO staff negotiated an agreement to allow the proposed Verizon-Frontier deal. That negotiated agreement is now before the PUCO commissioners.
The Ohio transaction is part of Verizon’s overall plan to sell its local telephone operations in Ohio and 13 other states to Frontier Communications in an $8.6 billion deal.
The Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, which represents the state’s residential utility consumers and participated in negotiating the agreement filed with the PUCO on Dec. 8, said the deal requires Frontier to deploy broadband facilities in 85 percent of Verizon’s current Ohio service area by the end of 2013. That would be based on a plan to be developed by Frontier, the consumers’ counsel and PUCO staff, and would cap basic local telephone rates until broadband deployment reaches 85 percent.
Frontier has said it would commit to expanding broadband service if the acquisition receives PUCO approval.
The Verizon territory that Frontier would inherit includes parts of Montgomery, Miami, Warren, Clinton, Darke, Preble, Clark, Champaign and Shelby counties.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@ DaytonDailyNews.com.
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