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Frontier Communications, W.Va. Public Service Commission Trade Barbs Over Audit

CHARLESTON — Frontier Communications is disputing allegations by the West Virginia Public Service Commission that the company is not complying with a third-party audit of its services.

In a response filed Nov. 26 to a motion by the commission to compel Frontier to fully comply with data requests from third-party auditor Schumaker and Associates, Frontier said it has been cooperative and was surprised by the motion.

“Candidly, the (PSC) motion comes as a shock to Frontier,” wrote Joseph Starsick, associate general counsel for Frontier. “Frontier has maintained regular communications with Schumaker with respect to all audit matters including but not limited to numerous employee interviews, site visits, ride-alongs and requests for information.”

Starsick accused the commission of not communicating its issues with Frontier’s audit compliance with the company before filing the motion.

“At no time has the staff raised a concern with Frontier – either by phone, during in person discussions with staff or in writing-about its responsiveness to Schumaker,” Starsick wrote. “Contrary to the usual practice before the (PSC) for motions to compel and without first consulting with Frontier, staff filed its incendiary motion.”

In its order, commission staff attorney Linda Bouvette accused Frontier of not meeting deadlines for 30 of 121 data requests by Schumaker as of Nov. 20. Bouvette said some of the responses from Frontier are more than two months overdue. The audit report is due to the commission by Feb. 14.

“Frontier should be required to timely respond to the data requests as they are served on it,” Bouvette wrote. “Further, Frontier should have a dedicated team working with Schumaker to ensure that the focused management audit is given the necessary time, effort and response to be successful. Staff does not believe Frontier’s current actions in failing to timely respond to data requests demonstrate that it has a dedicated team working with Schumaker to ensure that the focused management audit is successful.”

In a commission order dated Aug. 30, 2018, Frontier was required to undergo an audit after the Communications Workers of America filed a complaint against Frontier West Virginia and Citizens Communications, the previous name of the company.

The union asked for a review of Frontier’s copper network and infrastructure, as well as revenue since acquiring Verizon Inc. in 2010. The Communications Workers also sought a review of phone line maintenance, repairs, installations, staffing, and quality of service, and isn’t the only group unhappy with Frontier. The commission has hundreds of letters complaining about Frontier service, both in rural parts of the state and in larger cities.

Schumaker and Associates was chosen as the third-party auditor one year later on July 25 with Frontier ordered to pay the cost of the audit. The commission denied a request from Frontier earlier in July to choose its own third-party firm to conduct the audit.

“Frontier has cooperated fully with Schumaker throughout the audit,” Starsick wrote.

“Frontier will continue to be engaged in the process and has every expectation that the audit will conclude according to schedule. We are completely at a loss to understand why the (PSC) would suddenly, virtually out of nowhere, make such serious accusations without any foundation, without any prior notice, or any attempt, whatsoever, to consult or cooperate with Frontier in advance.”

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