By the Numbers: Frontier Failure

“This legislation will update Wisconsin’s regulation of the telephone industry for the broadband age. These reforms will encourage more private-sector investment and bring jobs to the state.” 

— Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker in 2011 after signing a bill to deregulate the telecom industry in the state 

20

Percentage of Wisconsin covered by Frontier Communications, including northern Door County

93

Number of complaints filed last year about Frontier Communications  with the U.S. Department Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection

2011

Year when the Wisconsin Legislature passed a law that said the state could no longer investigate complaints from consumers about their telephone and internet providers or regulate service rates

3 

Number of weeks it took, on average, for Frontier to restore phone service after an outage, according to a survey of 70 complaints filed in Wisconsin in 2018 and 2019

$10

Amount Frontier charges customers for router rental fees even when the customer owns a router 

$16.3 billion

Amount of long-term debt Frontier reported in September 

$356 million

Debt payments Frontier owes in March, when it will reportedly file for bankruptcy protection

2,250

Reduction in Frontier’s workforce from September 2018 to September 2019

Sources: Wisconsin Public Radio, WSAW, Techdirt