Contact: Sarah Abel
Phone: 202-225-5506
Washington, DC— This week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint alleging that Frontier Communications did not provide many consumers with internet service at the promised speeds and charged many for more expensive and higher-speed service than Frontier actually provided. The complaint was filed with the attorneys general from Wisconsin, Arizona, Indiana, Michigan and North Carolina. Rep. Ron Kind released the following statement regarding the announcement:
“In this day and age, the internet is a necessity and Wisconsinites deserve to get the internet service speeds they’ve paid for. In 2019, I held a listening session in Mondovi to hear directly from Frontier customers about the connectivity problems they were facing and discuss issues surrounding internet access. Since then, I’ve continued to hear complaints about internet service from frustrated constituents. I’m thrilled to see the FTC take steps to address this ongoing issue and hold companies accountable if they’re not delivering on their promises. As a member of the Rural Broadband Task Force, I’ll be sure to follow this complaint closely and keep working to close the rural-digital divide for all Wisconsinites.”
In December 2019, Rep. Kind‘s office held a listening session in Mondovi, WI with a representative from Frontier to discuss issues surrounding internet connectivity and phone service, create an open dialogue with frustrated Frontier customers, and see what steps could be taken to improve services to rural customers, particularly in Buffalo County.
The company had previously returned federal funding designated to expand broadband service in Mondovi, WI and surrounding areas. In early 2020 Frontier filed for bankruptcy before receiving approximately $37 million from the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction for broadband projects across the country.
Rep. Kind is a member of the National Rural Broadband Task Force, working to improve broadband speeds in rural areas and sharing the feedback with other members of the Task Force as they continue to find solutions to this problem that far too many people face.
