FairPoint Communications, Inc. was an American operator of communication services. FairPoint's services include local and long-distance phone service, data, Internet, broadband, television, business communications solutions and fiber services.[3] Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, it served 31 markets in 17 states, mostly in rural areas. FairPoint, along with Frontier Communications, had been at the forefront of acquiring Verizon landline operations.
History
FairPoint was founded as MJD Communications Inc. in 1991, and was established as an incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) which gave it certain rights and obligations regarding providing service to rural areas.
The company acquired the Cass County Telephone Company in 2006, integrating its operations into FairPoint Communications Missouri. It also acquired the Germantown Independent Telephone Company in Germantown, Ohio.
Northern New England expansion
In 2007, FairPoint had about 330,000 access points or customers. In that year, Verizon Communications announced plans to sell its landline operations in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont (Northern New England Spinco) to FairPoint for $2.7 billion. Of that amount, $1.7 billion would go to Verizon Communications in cash and debt and approximately $1.015 billion would go to Verizon shareholders in FairPoint common stock. Verizon would hold no stock.
After extensive federal and state regulatory review and approval, the purchase became effective March 31, 2008, for a price of $2.4 billion. State regulators sought a lower figure out of concerns that excess debt would hamper service and expansion.
Approximately 1.6 million phone customers and 230,000 internet users in the three states were added to FairPoint's customer base, with the result that the Northern New England customers represented 85% of FairPoint's customers.[4]
This increase made FairPoint Communications the 8th largest phone company in the United States.[5]
Bankruptcy
On May 5, 2009, FairPoint indicated in its 2009 first quarter report that it was "considering engaging a financial advisor to evaluate its current capital structure and to explore options with respect to a potential restructuring." It also acknowledged that it was "at risk of failing to comply with the interest coverage covenant contained in its credit facility as early as the covenant measurement period ending June 30, 2009."[6]
FairPoint employees voted to strike on October 7, 2014, three days after FairPoint froze employee pensions.[12] The strike was the year's longest work stoppage.[13] Leaders of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) said that FairPoint management had abandoned the bargaining process on August 27 after refusing to compromise on any substantive issue since negotiations began.[14]
After 131 days, the strike ended with a new three-year contract in place.[15]
Purchase by Consolidated Communications
In December 2016 FairPoint was purchased by Consolidated Communications for $1.5 billion including assumption of debt. The acquisition closed in July 2017. The combined company operates under the Consolidated Communications name.[16]
Local operating companies
FairPoint owned the following operating companies:
