Frontier Communications increases Internet speed for 4,000 customers

High-speed Internet is an essential for many tasks in society today ranging from video conferencing to streaming media and even browsing the Internet. Families and individuals in rural areas are often at a disadvantage when it comes to Internet speeds because rural areas are the last to get the newest technology.

Frontier Communications got this message when they signed an agreement to increase Internet speeds for roughly 4,000 customers. The agreement, which was drafted with Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, increases speeds for these customers to 6 megabits per second. It is a far cry from the speeds recommended by the federal government, but it is four times faster than their previous speeds. The slow speeds were what prompted the investigation last year. Andy Malinoski, the spokesman for Frontier, stated that “many of the customers included in this settlement are in very rural areas.”

The agreement gives Frontier until 2018 to increase the Internet speed for roughly 27,000 customers. Until the upgrade in speed is complete, customers affected by the agreement are only paying $9.99 per month for their service as opposed to the standard rate of $19.99. The rate cut for these customers is costing Frontier approximately $500,000 in projected revenue.

Frontier Communications has been spending significantly to improve their services. In 2015 alone, Frontier spent $23.8 million on upgrades to equipment and facilities. They were also given $8 million from the Connect America Fund controlled by the federal government for enhancements. The agreement also stipulates that they must invest $150 million into the state of West Virginia over the period of three years.

The representative for attorney general Morrisey, Curtis Johnson, said “We will continue to aggressively enforce terms of the agreement, as doing so promises to enhance speeds and increase connectivity, while reducing consumer bills and ensuring heavy investment into our state’s internet infrastructure.” Frontier was also forced to pay $50,000 for the costs of the administrative, monitoring and investigating process that led to the agreement.

The investigation originally began in 2013 when Frontier customers complained that they were getting a maximum of 1.5 Mbps Internet speed, while they were promised speeds “up to 6.0 Mbps” by Frontier. Frontier denied wrongdoing in the accusations.

Frontier is currently reviewing their billing records to ensure that customers affected by the agreement continue to get a discount on their Internet service. They’re also going to receive retroactive credits back to the origination of the investigation. Frontier is implementing a “facilities upgrade plan” to increase speeds for these customers in order to “meet the commitments outlined in the agreement,” Malinoski stated.
The Federal Communications Commission increased the minimum speed for broadband classification to 25 Mbps and approximately 1/3 of the 206,000 Frontier customers in West Virginia have access to speeds classified as broadband by the FTC.