Rockefeller Raises Concerns about Verizon-Frontier Deal

On October 9, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) sent Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski a letter expressing concern about Verizon's sale of 4.8 million residential telephone lines to Frontier Communications. West Virginia is the only state for which the applicants seek the transfer of nearly every residential line in the state, so Chairman Rockefeller asks whether the deal is good for his state. he also asks the deal be reviewed with special emphasis on how it will impact broadband investment in the state.

On January 5, Chairman Genachowski replied saying that other commenters in the FCC's review of the deal had raised similar concerns and that the Commission will determine if transaction will serve the public interest and ultimately will benefit consumers.