Verizon, Frontier ask FCC to back license transfers

Verizon Communications and Frontier Communications on Friday asked the Federal Communications Commission to approve the transfers of phone line licenses as part of the companies' $5.25 billion deal. Under a deal announced earlier this month, Verizon would sell 4.8 million rural phone lines to Frontier, which would become the largest rural-only service provider in the United States. The deal came amid a wave of consolidation in the rural phone market, as providers seek to cut costs and more consumers cancel landlines. "The proposed transaction will not cause competitive harm and will bring significant public interest benefits, including the increased deployment of broadband to rural areas, which both the President and Congress have identified as a national priority," the joint filing said. In their filing with the FCC, the companies asked for a "favorable and expedited" action. They also reassured regulators that the change would be seamless for both retail and wholesale customers, and Frontier will honor existing tariffs and contracts.