Rural Communities Will Benefit
STAMFORD, Conn., Mar 05, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Frontier Communications Corporation (NYSE:FTR, news, filings) today announced initial support for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) plan to create a fund to support Broadband Deployment to unserved rural areas and to reform Universal Service Fund (USF) and Intercarrier Compensation (ICC) proposals as part of the March 17, 2010 National Broadband Plan. The FCC’s plans were previewed today in Washington, DC.
“We are pleased that the FCC is very focused on the expansion of broadband throughout rural America,” said Maggie Wilderotter, Chairman and CEO of Frontier Communications. She added, “Today’s press conference, along with the National Broadband Plan that will be provided to Congress, are critical steps in providing a road map for extending broadband to unserved rural areas across the nation. We also know the importance of reforming the USF and ICC over an extended period of time, and we will continue to work with the FCC on this. The new Connect America Fund (CAF) can ensure ongoing support for rural America, and at the same time give consumers virtual access to education, health care and commerce opportunities. We look forward to hearing more from the FCC as these concepts are developed.”
Frontier currently provides service in 24 states, with broadband service offered to 92 percent of its customers. 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.
The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 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, http://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.
SOURCE: Frontier Communications Corporation
Frontier Communications Corporation
Steve Crosby, 916-206-8198
SVP, Government and Regulatory Affairs
steven.crosby@frontiercorp.com
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