Citizens Communications
Encyclopedia
Frontier Communications Corporation is a telephone company in the United States
, mainly serving rural areas and smaller communities. It was known as Citizens Utilities Company until May 2000 and Citizens Communications Company until July 31, 2008.
Frontier is one of the nation's largest rural local exchange carriers and offers local and long-distance telephone service, broadband Internet, digital television service, and computer technical support to residential and business customers in 27 states in the U.S.
-based Global Crossing in 2001. Global Crossing
acquired Frontier in 1999 after a bidding war with Qwest
for Frontier's nationwide fiber optic network that Rochester Telephone built throughout the 1990s before changing its name to Frontier Corporation in 1995.
Citizens acquired the operations from Global Crossing North America for $3.65 billion. The companies included in the acquisition included Frontier ILEC
companies in New York
as well as Frontier Subsidiary Telco, which included all Global Crossing North America ILEC operations located outside of New York
, Frontier Communications of America, a long distance provider, and Frontier Communications of Rochester, a CLEC
. The acquisition was completed in June
2001.
to acquire Verizon's 4.8 million landlines leased to residential and small business customers. The deal meant Frontier would acquire all wireline assets in Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin, placed into a holding company called New Communications ILEC Holdings
. Also included were several of Verizon's exchanges in California, including those bordering Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon. In all states other than West Virginia
, this takeover primarily involved rural exchanges that were formerly a part of the GTE
system when Verizon was formed by the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE. However, in West Virginia, Frontier acquired Verizon West Virginia
, formerly The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of West Virginia, a former Bell System
unit. When combined with its existing subsidiary Citizens Telecommunications Company of West Virginia
, Frontier became the local incumbent telephone company for all but five exchanges in the entire state.
On July 1, 2010, the change from Verizon to Frontier took place. In some states, Frontier was required not to raise rates, and in others, broadband
access was to be expanded. Ninety-two percent of people in Frontier's existing service area had access to broadband, while just 65 percent did in new areas. The goal was 85 percent in three years.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, mainly serving rural areas and smaller communities. It was known as Citizens Utilities Company until May 2000 and Citizens Communications Company until July 31, 2008.
Frontier is one of the nation's largest rural local exchange carriers and offers local and long-distance telephone service, broadband Internet, digital television service, and computer technical support to residential and business customers in 27 states in the U.S.
Acquisition of original Frontier
Citizens Communications acquired the Frontier name and local exchange properties of the former Frontier Corporation from BermudaBermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
-based Global Crossing in 2001. Global Crossing
Global Crossing
Global Crossing Limited was a telecommunications company that provides computer networking services worldwide. It maintained a large backbone and offered transit and peering links, VPN, leased lines, audio and video conferencing, long distance telephone, managed services, dialup, colocation and...
acquired Frontier in 1999 after a bidding war with Qwest
Qwest
Qwest Communications International, Inc. was a large United States telecommunications carrier. Qwest provided local service in 14 western U.S. states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.On April...
for Frontier's nationwide fiber optic network that Rochester Telephone built throughout the 1990s before changing its name to Frontier Corporation in 1995.
Citizens acquired the operations from Global Crossing North America for $3.65 billion. The companies included in the acquisition included Frontier ILEC
Incumbent local exchange carrier
An ILEC, short for incumbent local exchange carrier, is a local telephone company in the United States that was in existence at the time of the breakup of AT&T into the Regional Bell Operating Companies , also known as the "Baby Bells." The ILEC is the former Bell System or Independent Telephone...
companies in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
as well as Frontier Subsidiary Telco, which included all Global Crossing North America ILEC operations located outside of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Frontier Communications of America, a long distance provider, and Frontier Communications of Rochester, a CLEC
Competitive local exchange carrier
A competitive local exchange carrier , in the United States, is a telecommunications provider company competing with other, already established carriers ....
. The acquisition was completed in June
June
June is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and one of the four months with a length of 30 days. Ovid provides two etymologies for June's name in his poem concerning the months entitled the Fasti...
2001.
Name change
Citizens Communications stockholders approved changing the corporate name to Frontier Communications Corporation at the annual meeting on May 15, 2008. The name change became effective on July 31, 2008, and the company's stock symbol on the New York Stock Exchange became "FTR".Purchase of Verizon lines
In May 2009, Frontier announced they had signed an $8.6 billion agreement with Verizon CommunicationsVerizon Communications
Verizon Communications Inc. is a global broadband and telecommunications company and a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average...
to acquire Verizon's 4.8 million landlines leased to residential and small business customers. The deal meant Frontier would acquire all wireline assets in Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin, placed into a holding company called New Communications ILEC Holdings
Frontier Communications ILEC Holdings
Frontier Communications ILEC Holdings, Inc. is a company created by Verizon Communications in 2009. The company, sold to Frontier Communications on July 1, 2010, serves as a holding company for former Bell System, Contel, and GTE telephone operating companies that were owned by Verizon prior to...
. Also included were several of Verizon's exchanges in California, including those bordering Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon. In all states other than West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, this takeover primarily involved rural exchanges that were formerly a part of the GTE
GTE
GTE Corporation, formerly General Telephone & Electronics Corporation was the largest independent telephone company in the United States during the days of the Bell System....
system when Verizon was formed by the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE. However, in West Virginia, Frontier acquired Verizon West Virginia
Frontier West Virginia
Frontier West Virginia, Inc. is one of the original Bell Operating Companies and provides local telephone service in West Virginia.-History:...
, formerly The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of West Virginia, a former Bell System
Bell System
The Bell System was the American Bell Telephone Company and then, subsequently, AT&T led system which provided telephone services to much of the United States and Canada from 1877 to 1984, at various times as a monopoly. In 1984, the company was broken up into separate companies, by a U.S...
unit. When combined with its existing subsidiary Citizens Telecommunications Company of West Virginia
Citizens Telecommunications Company of West Virginia
Citizens Telecommunications Company of West Virginia is the local exchange carrier of telephone service in some regions in West Virginia.The company was founded in 1897 as the Short Line Telephone Company. In 1975, the company changed its name to Mountain State Telephone Company...
, Frontier became the local incumbent telephone company for all but five exchanges in the entire state.
On July 1, 2010, the change from Verizon to Frontier took place. In some states, Frontier was required not to raise rates, and in others, broadband
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
access was to be expanded. Ninety-two percent of people in Frontier's existing service area had access to broadband, while just 65 percent did in new areas. The goal was 85 percent in three years.