Phoenix, Ariz.— At the Arizona Corporation Commission’s (ACC) September 17, 2025, regular open meeting, the Commission voted unanimously to approve a settlement agreement reached with Verizon Communications Inc. (Verizon) and Frontier Communications Inc. et.al., allowing Version to acquire ownership of Frontier and its Arizona Operating Subsidiaries.

Intermittent telecommunication outages in parts of northern and eastern Arizona, on several occasions, have left rural communities without the ability to call 911, and law enforcement agencies without the ability to dispatch emergency crews.  The outages have affected land lines, cell phone and internet service in Navajo County.

“I’m glad to see Verizon take over this historically neglected system in Navajo County and my hope is that emergency service reliability will improve along with service for existing and future customers,” said Chair Kevin Thompson. 

The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office participated in the settlement negotiations, and says the merger will provide much-need, substantial improvements to their operations. A representative from Verizon assured the Commission that the second-largest telecommunications company in the U.S. would prioritize improving network reliability, starting with an in-depth audit of Frontier’s network system.  Verizon pledged to make the necessary investments to upgrade infrastructure and implement measures to align the Frontier network with Verizon’s standards.

All documents related to this case can be found in the ACC’s eDocket system at https://edocket.azcc.gov/, Docket Nos. T-20679A-24-0252, T-01954B-24-0252; T-02115A-24-0252; T-20680A-24-0252; T-03214A-24-0252; T-20681A-24-252 and T-04036A-24-0252.