© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WECS · WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM · WVOF
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Frontier reaches $60-plus million settlement with the state over customer complaints

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong moments before his settlement announcement with Frontier Communications.
Dave Wurtzel
/
Connecticut Public
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, moments before his announcement about the settlement with Frontier Communications.

Connecticut has reached a settlement of more than $60 million with cable and internet provider Frontier Communications.

As part of the agreement, the Norwalk-based company will spend more than $40 million of that amount to upgrade internet service from DSL to fiber optic-cables, especially in economically distressed urban and rural communities.

The settlement resolves a state investigation into whether Frontier deceived its customers.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said Frontier failed to deliver advertised internet speed, charged more than promised, and billed customers for equipment they had already returned or for services they had canceled.

“One of the most frequent complaints that we hear, since I became attorney general, are complaints about Frontier and about their service,” Tong said. “We’re talking about over 1,400 individual consumer complaints about Frontier.”

Frontier has also agreed to stop billing customers a $6.99 monthly “Internet Infrastructure Surcharge,” which Tong said amounted to a hidden fee.

The attorney general urged Frontier customers to contact his office if they still have complaints about their internet service. “If you continue to have any problems with Frontier, we want to hear from you,” Tong said.

Frontier officials indicated that the company is moving forward.

“Frontier is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to build a fiber infrastructure that will provide high speed, reliable connectivity across the State of Connecticut,” Chrissy Murray, vice president of external communications, said in a written statement. The settlement with the state of Connecticut is primarily related to legacy DSL services and stipulates that Frontier has admitted no wrongdoing.

“We settled the investigation in good faith to put it behind us so we could focus on our business – that’s in the best interest of all our customers,” Murray added.

Frontier recently paid a $5 million fine to the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority after its contractors damaged underground gas and electric lines. They smashed holes, without permission, in underground pipes carrying electric cables and inserted Frontier’s fiber-optic cables.

Matt Dwyer is an editor, reporter and midday host for Connecticut Public's news department. He produces local news during All Things Considered.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Connecticut Public’s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.