Six months ago, my office reached a recordmaking, $160-million settlement with Frontier
Communications. It immediately ranked as the
largest consumer protection action of its kind
in state history and represented a major step
forward for improved Internet access and service
for West Virginia.
next three years. Those capital expenditures must
come in addition to the $180 million in planned
improvements as part of a federal program.
For instance, satisfactorily watching just one,
high-definition movie can require a connection
of 5 megabits per second – a speed many West
Virginians thought they were obtaining after they
purchased high-speed Internet service.
Frontier further agreed, as part of the
consumer protection settlement, to make
no attempt at passing costs associated with
the settlement onto consumers through any
regulatory proceeding, including those before the
state Public Service Commission.
Of course, infrastructure upgrades will not
occur overnight. That’s why another portion of the
consumer protection settlement requires Frontier to
reduce monthly bills for at least 28,000 customers
Routine email and web surfing can be adequately – a provision expected to save approximately $10
served with yesterday’s dial-up speed of 56 kilobits million for consumers.
per second, but today’s world is much different.
The new era depends upon video capabilities
For customers receiving just 1.5 Mbps or less,
and large data transfers at work, in addition to
your monthly bill will drop to $9.99 per month.
streaming entertainment at home.
That equates to a savings of $10 to $20 per month.
Through this landmark settlement we seek to
enhance speeds and increase connectivity. The
agreement reduces many consumers’ bills and over
a three year period ensures heavy investment into
our state’s Internet infrastructure.
Between 2013 and 2015, our office received
multiple complaints from consumers who paid for
Frontier’s high-speed service, which advertised
speeds up to 6 Mbps.
We took those complaints seriously, initiated a
comprehensive investigation and then brokered an
agreement for approximately $160 million – the
largest independently negotiated settlement in West
Virginia’s history.
Simply put, this represents a major victory
for West Virginia consumers without the cost of
extensive and uncertain litigation. I appreciate that
we have been able to work out an agreement with
the company.
The centerpiece of this consumer protection
agreement requires Frontier to spend at least
$150 million to upgrade its infrastructure over the
Together, the main provisions amount to
approximately $160 million in benefits without the
time or expense of a prolonged lawsuit that, in and
of itself, offers no guaranteed benefit to consumers.
Plus, the state expended no funds for outside
counsel – all legal work was handled in house,
saving hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars.
We hope and anticipate that this agreement will
represent a game changer for West Virginia. Rest
assured, it’s only the first step from our office to
improve connectivity in our state. Much more
needs to be done.
Since becoming attorney general, I have sought
to use the authority of our office to help consumers
as well as fundamentally improve the business
climate of our state. Through this record breaking
settlement, we are making good on our promise and
investing in West Virginia’s citizens and her future.
Patrick Morrisey serves as attorney general for
West Virginia.
West Virginia Farm Bureau News 27