The agency, which regulates Ohio utilities, had three public hearings on the proposed Verizon-Frontier deal Sept. 8-10 in Marion, Portsmouth and New Philadelphia.
State Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, asked PUCO chairman Alan Schriber to also arrange a hearing in the Dayton area so that Verizon’s customers in the Miami Valley would have an opportunity to directly address the PUCO.
The lawmaker called Schriber after the Dayton Daily News contacted Husted’s office to point out that the PUCO’s hearings schedule didn’t include the Miami Valley, even though Verizon’s service area includes parts of Montgomery, Greene, Clark, Darke, Miami, Warren, Clinton, Preble and Highland counties.
The Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, which has been urging the PUCO for weeks to schedule additional hearings on the Verizon-Frontier proposal, is now urging residents to turn out and bring their concerns to the commission.
The Consumers’ Counsel, the state advocate for residential customers of utilities, opposes the proposal, saying it would not benefit customers. If the PUCO allows the deal, it would shift Verizon Communications’ 435,000 local landline telephone customers in 77 Ohio counties to Frontier Communications.
It would be part of an $8.6 billion transaction that Verizon and Frontier announced in May, which would involve rural wireline operations in 14 states. The deal would not involve Verizon’s cell phone operations.
Customers also can express their opinions by calling the PUCO at (800) 686-7826. Spokesmen for Verizon and Frontier said they don’t believe that any public hearings are needed for the PUCO to make its decision, but will support the commission’s effort to develop a public record.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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