Frontier Communications Parent, Inc., formerly known as Citizens Utilities Company, Citizens Communications Company, and Frontier Communications Corporation, is a US-based telecommunications company. They provide fiber-optic network and cloud-based services including broadband internet, digital television, and computer tech support to residential and business customers across 25 states. In some regions, they also offer home phone services.
1935: Formation from remnants of Public Utilities Consolidated Corporation
In 1935, Citizens Utilities Company, the predecessor of Frontier Communications, was formed from the remnants of Wilbur B. Foshay's Public Utilities Consolidated Corporation.
1935: Incorporation of the company
In 1935, Frontier Communications was incorporated, laying the foundation for its future growth in the telecommunications sector.
1945: Richard Rosenthal hired as president
In 1945, New York investor Richard Rosenthal was hired as president of Citizens Utilities Company, marking a significant leadership change.
1946: Richard Rosenthal becomes youngest company president
In 1946, Richard Rosenthal, at thirty years old, became the youngest company president in the industry, leading Citizens Utilities Company.
1969: Acquisition of Kauai Electric Company
In 1969, Citizens Utilities Company acquired the Kauai Electric Company, marking its largest acquisition at the time and expanding its operations significantly.
1970: Richard Rosenthal elected chairman
In 1970, Richard Rosenthal was elected chairman of Citizens Utilities Company, while continuing to serve as CEO.
1981: Ishier Jacobson becomes CEO
In 1981, Ishier Jacobson succeeded Richard Rosenthal as CEO of Citizens Utilities Company, continuing the company's leadership transition.
1986: Acquisition of AAlert Paging Company
In 1986, Citizens Utilities Company acquired AAlert Paging Company, expanding its service offerings.
1989: Richard Rosenthal retires as chairman
In 1989, Richard Rosenthal retired as chairman of Citizens Utilities Company, concluding his long tenure with the company.
1990: Acquisition of Louisiana General Services
In 1990, Citizens Utilities Company acquired Louisiana General Services, the largest natural gas distribution company in Louisiana.
1990: Leonard Tow named chairman and CEO
In 1990, Leonard Tow was named chairman and CEO of Citizens Utilities Company after expanding the business and focusing on service quality.
1991: Creation of Centennial Cellular
In 1991, Citizens Utilities Company created Centennial Cellular by merging its Citizens Cellular subsidiary with Century Cellular, retaining a 32% ownership stake.
1993: Sale and acquisition efforts
In 1993, Citizens Utilities Company sold AAlert Paging Company and agreed to acquire 500,000 rural access lines from GTE, marking significant strategic moves.
June 1994: Acquisition of Contel of New York lines
In June 1994, Citizens Utilities Company added 270,000 lines in New York from Contel of New York into Citizens Telecommunications Company of New York.
1994: Announcement of Alltel line acquisitions
In 1994, Citizens Utilities Company announced plans to acquire 117,000 telephone lines and cable franchises in eight states from Alltel for $292 million.
January 1995: Acquisition of GTE lines in California
In January 1995, Citizens Utilities Company merged 5,000 GTE access lines into Citizens Telecommunications Company of California, further expanding its operations.
June 30, 1995: Completion of first Alltel acquisitions
On June 30, 1995, Citizens Utilities Company completed the first acquisitions of two Alltel operating companies, integrating them into its existing operations.
September 1995: Transfer of Alltel lines in Tennessee
In September 1995, some of the Alltel lines were officially transferred to Citizens Telecommunications Company of the Volunteer State in Tennessee.
1995: Expansion into 18 states
By the start of 1995, Citizens Utilities Company had expanded into 18 states with major subsidiaries such as Electric Lightwave.
1996: Frontier Field Opens with 20-Year Naming Rights Deal
Frontier secured naming rights for Rochester, New York's Frontier Field in 1996 through a 20-year agreement.
1996: Acquisition of Alltel lines in multiple states
In 1996, Citizens Utilities Company acquired Alltel lines in Pennsylvania, California, and Nevada, further expanding its telecommunications footprint.
1997: Acquisition of Ogden Telephone
In 1997, Citizens Utilities Company acquired Ogden Telephone, continuing its strategic growth in the telecommunications sector.
October 1999: Sale of water and wastewater operations
In October 1999, Citizens Utilities Company sold its water and wastewater operations for $835 million, focusing more on telecommunications.
December 1999: GTE agrees to sell phone lines to Citizens
In December 1999, GTE agreed to sell 106,850 phone lines in Illinois to Citizens Utilities Company for $303 million.
1999: Focus on telecommunications
In 1999, the company shifted its focus solely to telecommunications, selling its natural gas assets and utility operations to concentrate on this sector.
February 2000: Sale of electric utility operations
In February 2000, Citizens Utilities Company sold its electric utility operations for $535 million, continuing its strategic shift toward telecommunications.
April 2000: Sale of Louisiana natural gas assets
In April 2000, Citizens Utilities Company sold its Louisiana natural gas assets to Atmos Energy for $375 million, furthering its focus on telecommunications.
2000: Rebranding to Citizens Communications Company
In 2000, Citizens Utilities Company rebranded to Citizens Communications Company, marking a significant change in its corporate identity.
2000: Renaming to Citizens Communications Company
In 2000, Citizens Utilities Company was renamed to Citizens Communications Company, reflecting its new strategic direction.
July 2001: Acquisition of Frontier name and assets
In July 2001, Citizens Communications acquired the Frontier name and assets from Global Crossing North America in Bermuda for $3.65 billion.
2002: Sale of remaining water and wastewater operations
In 2002, Citizens Communications Company sold its remaining water and wastewater operations to American Water Works, generating significant revenue from divestments.
2003: Sale of Arizona electric and gas utilities
In 2003, Citizens Communications Company sold its Arizona electric and gas utilities to UNS Energy, continuing to divest its non-telecommunications assets.
November 2004: Maggie Wilderotter Becomes CEO
Maggie Wilderotter began her tenure as CEO and chairperson of Frontier in November 2004.
2004: Sale of Vermont electric distribution and transmission systems
In 2004, Citizens Communications Company sold its Vermont electric distribution division to Vermont Electric Cooperative and its Vermont transmission system to Vermont Electric Power Company.
2006: Acquisition of Commonwealth Telephone
In 2006, Citizens Communications Company acquired Commonwealth Telephone, a Pennsylvania telephone company, expanding its telecommunications operations.
July 31, 2008: Citizens Communications Becomes Frontier Communications
On July 31, 2008, Citizens Communications rebranded to Frontier Communications Corporation, changing its stock symbol from "CZN" to "FTR" on the New York Stock Exchange.
2008: Rebranding to Frontier Communications Corporation
In 2008, Citizens Communications Company rebranded again to Frontier Communications Corporation, continuing its evolution in the telecommunications industry.
June 2010: Frontier Sues Google over Google Voice
Frontier Communications filed a lawsuit against Google in June 2010, alleging that Google Voice infringed on its invention of linking multiple phone lines to a single number.
July 2010: Frontier Acquires Verizon Assets
Frontier significantly expanded its operations in July 2010 by purchasing FiOS internet and television infrastructure from Verizon, primarily in former GTE areas. The $8.6 billion acquisition tripled Frontier's customer base to 7 million.
2010: Frontier Rebrands FiOS
After acquiring FiOS from Verizon, Frontier rebranded the fiber optic service in 2010.
February 2011: Frontier Raises FiOS TV Rates
Frontier substantially increased FiOS TV rates in February 2011, citing escalating programming costs, leading to customer backlash.
December 16, 2011: Frontier Moves to NASDAQ
Frontier Communications transitioned from the NYSE to the NASDAQ stock exchange on December 16, 2011, maintaining its "FTR" symbol.
2011: Frontier Acquires Naming Rights to Frontier Ice Arena
In 2011, Frontier acquired the naming rights to the Frontier Ice Arena in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, further expanding its presence in the sports and entertainment industry.
2012: Frontier's Initial FiOS TV Price Guarantee
Initially, Frontier pledged not to raise FiOS TV prices until 2012 following the Verizon acquisition but later retracted this promise.
2013: Frontier's Broadband Expansion Target
As part of the 2010 Verizon deal, Frontier was required to increase broadband access to 85% of its subscribers by 2013.
October 24, 2014: Frontier Acquires AT&T Operations in Connecticut
On October 24, 2014, Frontier expanded its footprint by acquiring AT&T's wireline, DSL, U-verse video, and satellite TV businesses in Connecticut for $2 billion.
April 2015: Daniel J. McCarthy Becomes CEO
Daniel J. McCarthy succeeded Maggie Wilderotter as CEO of Frontier in April 2015.
2015: Frontier Extends Naming Rights for Frontier Field
Frontier chose to extend its 20-year naming rights agreement for Frontier Field in Rochester, New York in 2015, demonstrating a continued commitment to the venue.
April 1, 2016: Frontier Acquires Verizon Assets in Florida, Texas, and California
Frontier undertook another major expansion on April 1, 2016, by acquiring Verizon's TV, internet, and landline phone operations in Florida, Texas, and California for $10.5 billion, doubling Frontier's size.
2016: Consumer Reports Reflect Negative Sentiment Toward Frontier DSL
In 2016, outlets like Consumer Affairs echoed the negative sentiment surrounding Frontier's DSL service, highlighting issues with performance and reliability.
2017: Frontier Implements Faster DSL Speeds in West Virginia
Following a class action lawsuit, Frontier completed the implementation of faster DSL speeds in West Virginia in 2017, fulfilling part of a settlement agreement.
2017: Frontier Sponsors American Athletic Conference Basketball Championships
Frontier served as the title sponsor for the American Athletic Conference's Men's and Women's basketball championships in 2017, increasing its visibility in the collegiate sports arena.
February 2018: Frontier Experiences Revenue Decline
Frontier faced an 8% annual revenue decline in February 2018, despite efforts to reduce costs.
2018: Frontier Launches Cloud-Based UCaaS Solution
Frontier introduced a cloud-based unified-communications-as-a-service (UCaaS) option for business customers in 2018.
2019: Frontier's Revenue Continues to Decline
Frontier's financial difficulties persisted in 2019, with revenue dropping to approximately $8.1 billion.
2019: Frontier DSL Ranked Low in Customer Satisfaction
PC Magazine's 2019 annual survey placed Frontier's DSL service at the bottom for "Overall Satisfaction," reflecting ongoing customer dissatisfaction with the service.
January 2020: Frontier Seeks Turnaround Deal
Frontier's financial struggles continued, and in January 2020, Bloomberg News reported that the company was in talks with creditors to explore a turnaround plan, which included the possibility of bankruptcy.
April 14, 2020: Frontier Files for Bankruptcy
Facing financial challenges, Frontier Communications filed for bankruptcy on April 14, 2020, to restructure its debt.
May 1, 2020: Frontier Sells Northwest Operations
As part of its bankruptcy restructuring, Frontier sold its Northwest operations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington to WaveDivision Capital and Searchlight Capital Partners for $1.352 billion on May 1, 2020. The acquired entity was renamed Ziply Fiber.
2020: Rebranding to Frontier Communications Parent, Inc.
In 2020, the company rebranded to Frontier Communications Parent, Inc., reflecting further changes in its corporate structure and strategy.
2020: Filing for bankruptcy
In 2020, Frontier Communications filed for bankruptcy, facing significant financial challenges that necessitated restructuring.
March 4, 2021: Nick Jeffery Becomes CEO; New Leadership Team
Nick Jeffery assumed the roles of CEO and president of Frontier on March 4, 2021, bringing in a new leadership team, including Scott Beasley as CFO and Veronica Bloodworth as chief network officer.
March 2021: Frontier Emerges from Bankruptcy
Frontier successfully completed its financial restructuring and emerged from bankruptcy in March 2021, shifting its strategic focus toward expanding its fiber optic network.
April 2021: Frontier Communications Parent
Frontier Communications changed its name to Frontier Communications Parent in April 2021.
May 4, 2021: Frontier Communications goes public again
On May 4, 2021, Frontier Communications emerged from bankruptcy and went public on the NASDAQ, marking a new chapter in its corporate journey.
2021: Frontier Shifts Away from Traditional TV Marketing
Frontier made a strategic shift in 2021, discontinuing the marketing of its TV service with traditional linear video advertisements to new customers. However, some existing customers continue to have access to the service through legacy contracts.
May 2022: Frontier Settles with FTC over Internet Speeds
In May 2022, Frontier settled with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding allegations of not providing promised internet speeds to customers in California. Frontier agreed to pay $8.5 million to the state.
2022: Frontier's Customer Satisfaction Improves
While historically receiving low customer satisfaction rankings, Frontier's ratings saw moderate improvement in 2022, surpassing competitors like CenturyLink and Mediacom, although still below the industry average.
January 2023: Frontier Launches 5 Gigabit Internet Speeds
Frontier rolled out 5 gigabit internet speeds across its entire fiber network in January 2023, becoming the first nationwide internet service provider to offer this speed.
May 2023: CNET Names Frontier Fiber Best Internet Deal Overall
In May 2023, CNET awarded Frontier Fiber the title of "best internet deal overall" among American ISPs, praising its speed, TV bundle, unlimited data, and lack of term agreements. However, CNET also noted that Frontier's DSL service performance was inconsistent depending on the region.
2023: Frontier Invests in Fiber Optic Network in West Virginia
As part of its ongoing efforts to upgrade infrastructure, Frontier invested $100 million in its West Virginia network in 2023, aiming to replace copper with fiber optic technology.
2023: Frontier Expands Service Footprint to 25 States
By 2023, Frontier had expanded its services to cover 25 states, including both rural and metropolitan areas. While fiber optic service was available in parts of 15 states, some regions only had DSL, and others lacked DSL internet entirely.
2025: Frontier's Fiber Expansion Goal
Frontier set a goal to expand its fiber network to reach 10 million locations by 2025.
2026: Frontier's Fiber Optic Goal for Connecticut
Frontier aims to have 90% of its Connecticut customers connected to its fiber optic cable network by 2026.