The hearing room inside West Virginia’s Public Service Commission was filled with plain suits, heavy briefcases and growing anticipation.
At stake was control of an aging internet and landline system serving some 300,000 West Virginians. Verizon wants to buy Frontier Communications’ operations across the state.
kAmqFE 5FC:?8 2 3C:67 962C:?8 yF?6 `a[ BF6DE:@?D 23@FE E96 562= H6?E =2C86=J F?2?DH6C65i w@H >F49 H:== ‘6C:K@? :?G6DE 😕 FA8C25:?8 uC@?E:6C’D A@@C =2?5=:?6 DJDE6>n r2? 4FDE@>6CD 6IA64E 36EE6C D6CG:46n w@H H:== E96 4@>A2?J :>AC@G6 3C@2532?5 D6CG:46nk^Am
kAm~? E96 DE2?5[ %@> }F86?E[ 2? 6I64FE:G6 7@C ‘6C:K@?[ 82G6 2 D2=6D A:E49]k^Am
kAm“(6 H:== 3C:?8 ‘6C:K@?’D 7F== DF:E6 @7 D6CG:46D E@ (6DE ‘:C8:?:2[” 96 D2:5] “(6’G6 8@E E96 3C625E9[ E96 D6CD H:E9 2?J BF6DE:@?D E92E E96J >:89E 92G6]”k^Am
kAm(96? C68F=2E@CD AC6DD65 7@C 56E2:=D[ 96 C6A62E65=J 567=64E65 BF6DE:@?D E@ 4@==628F6D]k^Am
Public Service Commission Chairperson Charlotte Lane is shown during a hearing at the PSC on June 17, 2025.
CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE | Gazette-Mail
kAm“|C] }F86?E[ >J >2:? 4@?46C? 23@FE E9:D H9@=6 EC2?D24E:@? 😀 E96 BF2=:EJ @7 D6CG:46 E92E @FC =2?5=:?6 4FDE@>6CD — H9@ 92G6 ?@ 2=E6C?2E:G6 — 2C6 8@:?8 E@ D66[” D2:5 r92C=@EE6 {2?6[ 492:C>2? @7 E96 !$r]k^Am
kAmpD }F86?E =@@ E@ 6IA=2:? 9@H >F49 >@?6J ‘6C:K@? H2D H:==:?8 E@ :?G6DE 😕 FA8C25:?8 uC@?E:6C’D =2?5=:?6D]k^Am
kAmw6 4@F=5?’E]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?6D E@ 2 C@3FDE A=2? E92E H6 4FCC6?E=J 92G6 7@C 3@E9 4@AA6C 2?5 @FC 7:36C 4FDE@>6CD[ 3FE x’> 8@:?8 E@ 5:G6CE E@ |C] $F==:G2?[” 96 C6A=:65[ =@@kAm%96?[ E96C6 H2D 2 3C:67 A2FD6 2D {2?6 =@@
kAm“~n” D96 D2:5] “q642FD6 H6 86E 2 =@E @7 4@>A=2:?ED 23@FE D6CG:46 @FE286D[ 2?5 E92E 😀 D@=6=J F?2446AE23=6]”k^Am
{p class=”tncms-inline-link”}What to know about Verizon’s acquisition of Frontier, WV’s largest internet provider
kAm}F86?E 282:? 5676CC65 324
kAmp?5 E96?[ E@ 96C DFCAC:D6[ C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D 7@C ‘6C:K@? :?E6C;64E65[ 2D E@ 7:?2=:K6 56E2:=D @7 2 D6EE=6>6?E 36EH66? E96 4@>A2?J[ DE2E6 3C@2532?5 @77:4:2=D 2?5 F?:@? =6256CD]k^Am
kAmx?DE625 @7 EH@ 52JD @7 H:E?6DD E6DE:>@?J 2?5 C:8@C@FD 6I492?86D 36EH66? =2HJ6CD[ 56=:36C2E:@?D @44FCC65 369:?5 4=@D65 5@@CD[ D:56DE6AA:?8 AF3=:4 D4CFE:?J]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 ?@E J6E 2AAC@G65[ E96 D6EE=6>6?E D965D D@>6 =:89E @? ‘6C:K@?’D 3C@2532?5 A=2?D 7@C E96 DE2E6 2?5 D6CG:46 7@C 4FCC6?E uC@?E:6C 4FDE@>6CD]k^Am
kAmx? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]AD4]DE2E6]HG]FD^D4C:AED^(63s@46?E]47>nr2D6p4E:G:EJxslecb`bgU2>Aj}@E%JA6l(63s@46?E @776Ck^2m[ ‘6C:K@? 4@>>:EE65 E@ :>AC@G:?8 4FDE@>6C D6CG:46[ 6IA2?5:?8 3C@2532?5 2?5 >2:?E2:?:?8 DE277:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 4@>A2?J H:== 2?DH6C 2E =62DE g_T @7 4FDE@>6C 42==D H:E9:? b_ D64@?5D 2?5 AC@G:56 E96 @AE:@? E@ D4965F=6 42==D H:E9 4FDE@>6C D6CG:46 C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D] xE H:== 2=D@ 9:C6 ad 255:E:@?2= 6>A=@J66D 2?5 H:== >@G6 hf A2CE\E:>6 H@C6 A@D:E:@?D]k^Am
kAm’6C:K@? 😀 2=D@ A=658:?8 E@ 4@??64E bd[___ >@C6 9@>6D H:E9 7:36C 3C@2532?5 H:E9:? EH@ J62CD 27E6C E96 562=’D 4=@DFC6 @C :?G6DE Sb_ >:==:@? :?E@ 6IA2?5:?8 :?E6C?6E D6CG:46 E@ 4FDE@>6CD]k^Am
kAmx7 2AAC@G65[ ‘6C:K@?’D 24BF:D:E:@? @7 uC@?E:6C r@>>F?:42E:@?D’ 3C@2532?5 2?5 =2?5=:?6 @A6C2E:@?D H@F=5 >2>F?:42E:@?D 4@>A2?J 😕 E96 DE2E6]k^Am
kAm%96 562= H@F=5 92G6 DH66A:?8 :>A=:42E:@?D 7@C E96 DE2E6’D 3C@2532?5 2446DD[ 6DA64:2==J 😕 >@C6 CFC2= 2C62D]k^Am
k9bmp 562= H:E9 2 7=2H65 A2DEk^9bm
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]G6C:K@?]4@>^23@FE^D:E6D^5672F=E^7:=6D^’6C:K@?0w:DE@CJ0_h`e]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?6C8:?8 7C@> 2?@E96C E6=64@>D 562= H:E9 q6== pE=2?E:4 %6=6A9@?6[ H9:49 925 366? @A6C2E:?8 😕 E96 DE2E6 D:?46 `hgc]k^Am
kAmpE E96 E:>6[ 7:36C 3C@2532?5 E649?@=@8J H2D DE:== ?6H[ 2?5 >2?J AC@G:56CD H6C6 FD:?8 s${ — k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^7C@?E:6C]4@>^C6D@FC46D^H92E\5@6D\5D=\>62?Q E2C86ElQ03=2?
’
’’
’
“’””
’
’
’
“’”’
“”“’
”
’
“
“”“’”
“”“’”
8:e2>