Pennsylvanians Demand Consumer Protections in Verizon-Frontier Merger Review

Feb. 21, 2025 – Pennsylvania broadband advocates pressed the state’s Public Utility Commission on Thursday to require state-specific consumer protections before approving Verizon’s proposed acquisition of Frontier Communications.

The push for conditions on the deal comes as residents report years of poor service from Frontier, including weeks-long outages, slow DSL speeds, and aging infrastructure. These advocates argued that Verizon must commit to expanding broadband access, improving service quality, and public safety conditions, before the deal moves forward.

Barrett Sheridan, an attorney with the Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA), emerged as the most vocal in calling for state-specific consumer benefits in the PUC’s review of the Verizon-Frontier merger. 

“Part of the question is, will there be public benefits?,” Sheridan questioned. “Consumers depend on Frontier and Verizon for critical telephone service and other communications.”

The OCA, alongside the Pennsylvania Office of Small Business Advocate (OSBA), filed a formal protest against the Verizon-Frontier application. Their reasoning: the PUC must determine if the transaction delivers specific, measurable benefits to Pennsylvanians, not just general corporate assurances.