Following consumer complaints about poor service and a hidden monthly $6.99 internet service charge from Frontier Communications, Connecticut Attorney General Willam Tong announced a $60 million settlement with the company that will expand high-speed Internet. The Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Consumer Protection reviewed over 1,400 consumer complaints regarding Frontier in Connecticut.
“Frontier failed Connecticut consumers. Their DSL internet quality was slow and unreliable, and their customer service was unacceptable. They tacked on hidden fees, charged families for returned equipment, and kept charging customers even after services had been canceled. That ends now,” Tong said.
The settlement requires Frontier to invest in high-quality, high-speed fiber for communities without adequate internet options today– bringing access to 40,000 households most harmed by the company’s sub-par DSL service. In addition, Frontier has agreed to overhaul their customer service, and to end the hidden $6.99 monthly internet fee that cost Connecticut families $84 last year alone.
In a statement, Frontier said: “Frontier is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to build a fiber infrastructure that will provide high speed, reliable connectivity across the State of Connecticut. The settlement with the State of Connecticut is primarily related to legacy DSL services and stipulates that Frontier has admitted no wrongdoing. We settled the investigation in good faith to put it behind us so we could focus on our business – that’s in the best interest of all our customers.”
The agreement further requires Frontier to make a $1 million payment to the state and put up $200,000 for credits and refunds to consumers who filed complaints starting in 2019.
The agreement also imposes a comprehensive list of accountability measures for the next six years, including new price and billing disclosures, advertisement disclosures that address the company’s DSL representations, requirements that the company deliver promised speeds or provide options for consumers who do not receive promised speeds, assurances that the company will implement transparent and fair cancellation and equipment return processes, and more.
Should the company fail to adhere to its high-speed internet upgrade commitments, the Office of the Attorney General has the right to seek $6 million in penalties.
Customers who continue to have problems with Frontier internet service may file a complaint online at www.dir.ct.gov/ag/complaint.
