Published: March 16, 2010
Frontier Communications Issues Statement Commending the FCC's National Broadband Plan for Its Support of Rural Broadband Deployment, Reform of USF and ICC
STAMFORD, Conn. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Frontier Communications Corporation (NYSE: FTR) today issued the
following statement about the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC)
National Broadband Plan (Plan). The statement may be attributed to
Maggie Wilderotter, Chairman and CEO, Frontier Communications:
The FCC has taken an important step to help all Americans have access to
the communications services that drive our nation's economic growth,
enhance health and education, and promote public safety. The Plan
recognizes that rural areas need and deserve broadband access and the
importance of the Universal Service Fund (USF) to making such access a
reality. The FCC's measured proposal for a 10-year transition to shift
funding from voice to IP-based services will allow Frontier and other
carriers the time needed for strategic planning and investment while
ensuring that attention is paid to the ongoing needs of rural and
unserved communities for quality voice service.
As the FCC recognizes, educating communities and individuals about the
value of broadband is critical. According to the FCC, 94 million people
currently do not have broadband, for reasons of choice or cost. Frontier
strongly supports a level playing field where broadband access for all
is available and valued. Frontier has made broadband access a priority,
and more than 91 percent of the households in its geographic serving
area have it available. Frontier is committed to working with the FCC to
create programs to educate those in its markets about how broadband can
offer increased value in health care, energy management, education and
commerce.
"We commend the FCC for taking on the challenge of offering universal
broadband throughout America and putting the spotlight on the needs of
rural America, which cannot and must not be ignored," said Mrs.
Wilderotter. "We look forward to continuing to work with the FCC on
intercarrier compensation reform and the new Connect America Fund (CAF)
to ensure ongoing support for rural America and virtual access for all
consumers."
On May 13, 2009, Frontier announced plans to acquire Verizon's local
wireline operations serving residential and small-business customers in
predominantly rural areas and small- to medium-sized towns and cities in
14 states. Frontier has received state approvals in six states, most
recently from the Oregon Public Utility Commission on February 26, 2010.
Forward-Looking Language
This presentation contains forward-looking statements that are made
pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of The Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are made on the basis of
management's views and assumptions regarding future events and business
performance. Words such as "believe," "anticipate," "expect" and similar
expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements (including oral representations) involve
risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ
materially from any future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties
are based on a number of factors, including but not limited to: Our
ability to complete the acquisition of access lines from Verizon; the
failure to obtain, delays in obtaining or adverse conditions contained
in any required regulatory approvals for the Verizon transaction; for
two years after the merger, we may be limited in the amount of capital
stock that we can issue to make acquisitions or to raise additional
capital; our indemnity obligation to Verizon may discourage, delay or
prevent a third party from acquiring control of us during the two year
period following the merger in a transaction that our stockholders might
consider favorable; the ability to successfully integrate the Verizon
operations into Frontier's existing operations; the effects of increased
expenses due to activities related to the Verizon transaction; the
ability to migrate Verizon's West Virginia operations from Verizon owned
and operated systems and processes to Frontier owned and operated
systems and processes successfully; the risk that the growth
opportunities and cost synergies from the Verizon transaction may not be
fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; the
sufficiency of the assets to be acquired from Verizon to enable us to
operate the acquired business; disruption from the Verizon transaction
making it more difficult to maintain relationships with customers,
employees or suppliers; the effects of greater than anticipated
competition requiring new pricing, marketing strategies or new product
or service offerings and the risk that we will not respond on a timely
or profitable basis; reductions in the number of our access lines that
cannot be offset by increases in High Speed Internet subscribers and
sale of other products; our ability to sell enhanced and data services
in order to offset ongoing declines in revenue from local services,
switched access services and subsidies; the effects of ongoing changes
in the regulation of the communications industry as a result of federal
and state legislation and regulation; the effects of competition from
cable, wireless and other wireline carriers (through voice over internet
protocol (VOIP) or otherwise); our ability to adjust successfully to
changes in the communications industry and to implement strategies for
improving growth; adverse changes in the credit markets or in the
ratings given to our debt securities by nationally accredited ratings
organizations, which could limit or restrict the availability, or
increase the cost, of financing; reductions in switched access revenues
as a result of regulation, competition and/or technology substitutions;
the effects of changes in both general and local economic conditions on
the markets we serve, which can impact demand for our products and
services, customer purchasing decisions, collectability of revenue and
required levels of capital expenditures related to new construction of
residences and businesses; our ability to effectively manage service
quality; our ability to successfully introduce new product offerings,
including our ability to offer bundled service packages on terms that
are both profitable to us and attractive to our customers; changes in
accounting policies or practices adopted voluntarily or as required by
generally accepted accounting principles or regulators; our ability to
effectively manage our operations, operating expenses and capital
expenditures, and to repay, reduce or refinance our debt; the effects of
bankruptcies and home foreclosures, which could result in difficulty in
collection of revenues and loss of customers; the effects of
technological changes and competition on our capital expenditures and
product and service offerings, including the lack of assurance that our
ongoing network improvements will be sufficient to meet or exceed the
capabilities and quality of competing networks; the effects of increased
medical, retiree and pension expenses and related funding requirements;
changes in income tax rates, tax laws, regulations or rulings, and/or
federal or state tax assessments; the effects of state regulatory cash
management policies on our ability to transfer cash among our
subsidiaries and to the parent company; our ability to successfully
renegotiate union contracts expiring in 2010 and beyond; declines in the
value of our pension plan assets, which could require us to make
contributions to the pension plan in 2011 and beyond; our ability to pay
dividends in respect of our common shares, which may be affected by our
cash flow from operations, amount of capital expenditures, debt service
requirements, cash paid for income taxes and our liquidity; the effects
of any unfavorable outcome with respect to any of our current or future
legal, governmental or regulatory proceedings, audits or disputes; the
possible impact of adverse changes in political or other external
factors over which we have no control; and the effects of hurricanes,
ice storms or other natural disasters. These and other uncertainties
related to our business are described in greater detail in our filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our reports on
Forms 10-K and 10-Q, and the foregoing information should be read in
conjunction with these filings. We undertake no obligation to publicly
update or revise any forward-looking statements or to make any other
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise unless required to do so by securities laws.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
This filing is not a substitute for the definitive prospectus/proxy
statement included in the Registration Statement on Form S-4 that
Frontier filed, and the SEC has declared effective, in connection with
the proposed transactions described in the definitive prospectus/proxy
statement. INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROSPECTUS/PROXY
STATEMENT BECAUSE IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING DETAILED
RISK FACTORS. The definitive prospectus/proxy statement and other
documents filed or to be filed by Frontier with the SEC are or will be
available free of charge at the SEC's website, www.sec.gov,
or by directing a request when such a filing is made to Frontier, 3 High
Ridge Park, Stamford, CT 06905-1390, Attention: Investor Relations.
This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to buy securities, nor shall there be any sale
of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or
sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the
securities laws of such jurisdiction.
Frontier's stockholders approved the proposed transactions on October
27, 2009, and no other vote of the stockholders of Frontier or Verizon
is required in connection with the proposed transactions.

Frontier Communications Corporation
Steve Crosby, 916-206-8198
SVP,
Government and Regulatory Affairs
steven.crosby@frontiercorp.com
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