Vermont PSB OKs Settlement of FairPoint Service Quality Investigation

The Vermont Public Service Board ordered FairPoint to issue bill credits, improve customer notification and invest in additional rural broadband service in the state as the PSB settlement for a service quality investigation pending since December 2014, said the telco in a Friday news release. The order said operational and network changes happened since the start of the investigation, including returning service quality to "normal levels," noted the telco. FairPoint will be required to pay bill credits to eligible customers who had out-of-service repair delays just before and during a labor strike, it said. The PSB requires FairPoint to provide clear guidance for phone customers who are eligible for such credits in the future. Because of significant changes in telecom in the past several years, the PSB said it will open a new docket to review the scope of regulatory obligations applicable to FairPoint.