The cable franchise regulator in the Beaverton area of Oregon is warning consumers about a new $500 installation fee telco Frontier Communications is charging new FiOS video subscribers, the Oregonian reports.
Frontier, which bought out local wireline operations in 14 states from Verizon in 2009, has been weighing various options to control the cost of the FiOS video operations it also acquired, the Oregonian reported.
In January, Frontier announced a 46% rate increase, but has not yet put it into effect. It instituted the $500 installation fee to new FiOS video subscribers in March, a fee an official at the local regulator, known as the Metropolitan Area Communications Commission, termed "simply ridiculous and unjustified" in a report to MACC commissioners.
Frontier also informed four Oregon cities it intended to terminate video franchises there, the MACC official, policy & regulatory affairs manager Fred Christ, said in the report.
