RivCo DA Joins FTC Lawsuit Against Frontier Communications

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office has joined with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and agencies from several states in suing internet service provider Frontier Communications, it was announced Wednesday.

The complaint alleges that Frontier did not provide many consumers with internet service at promised speeds, and that the company charged many users for more expensive and higher-speed service than was actually provided.

The complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California pertains to Frontier’s Digital Subscriber Line internet service, which is provided to about 1.3 million consumers, many in rural areas, in 25 states including California, according to the DA's office.

"Beginning in at least January 2015, thousands of consumers have complained to Frontier as well
as government agencies that the company was failing to provide DSL internet service at the
speeds promised," according to a news announcement from the DA's office. "Many consumers have complained that the slower internet speeds provided by Frontier failed to support typical online activities that should have been available at the speed tiers Frontier had sold them."

The FTC’s complaint was filed with DA’s offices in Riverside and Los Angeles counties on
behalf of the state of California, as well as the state attorneys general in Arizona, Indiana,
Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.

While the complaint alleges that Frontier violated the FTC Act as well as various state laws, in
California it's also alleged the company violated the False Advertising Law and the Unfair Competition Law.

A Frontier Communications spokesperson issued an email response to Patch:

“Frontier believes the lawsuit is without merit. The plaintiffs’ complaint includes baseless allegations, overstates any possible monetary harm to Frontier’s customers and disregards important facts including the following:

• Frontier offers Internet service in some of the country’s most rural areas that often have challenging terrain, are more sparsely populated and are the most difficult to serve.

• Frontier’s rural DSL Internet service was enthusiastically welcomed when it was launched and has retained many satisfied customers over the years.

• Frontier’s DSL Internet speeds have been clearly and accurately articulated, defined and described in the Company’s marketing materials and disclosures.

Frontier will present a vigorous defense.”

A year after filing, Frontier emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 30. Effective May 4, the post-restructuring common stock of the company began trading on the Nasdaq exchange at $30 a share under the symbol FYBR. As of 11:33 a.m. Pacific, the company's share price was down .12 percent at $24.16.