Frontier/Verizon Deal Should Serve Public

A California nonprofit asked the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday to hold Frontier Communications Corp. accountable for promises that its $10.5 billion purchase of wireline operations from Verizon Communications Inc. in California, Florida and Texas would benefit the public.  Without endorsing or disparaging the proposed deal, the California Emerging Technology Fund urged the FCC to impose similar “public good” conditions on Frontier’s purchase of Verizon resources as it did in approving the recent AT&T Inc.-DirecTV merger, including a discounted broadband price for low-income users, a performance goal to enroll 45 percent of eligible low-income households and establishing a fund for public awareness campaigns.  “CETF does not opine on whether the transaction should be approved or denied, but urges this commission put teeth into vague promises by Frontier as to public interest benefits from this transaction,” the organization said.