Verizon announces a massive win after many months of hurdles and hiccups

Verizon is ready to pop the champagne, as its $20 billion Frontier deal is finally being approved by California's Public Utilities Commission.

The whole thing was a saga: Verizon faced multiple obstacles in the last year both from federal and local regulators.

The unanimous vote

The deal is expected to give Verizon access to new customers in areas that fit well with its existing fiber markets. After it's finalized, customers should get more home internet and mobile options, plus savings and deals they can't get elsewhere.

As Fierce Network reports, CPUC (the California Public Utilities Commission) cast a unanimous vote on January 15, allowing the Frontier acquisition to happen.

After this, Verizon said it's expected for the transaction to be closed on January 20.



Verizon, a fiber pioneer since 2005, plans to use this acquisition to speed up its nationwide fiber expansion and will share more details during its Q4 2025 earnings call on January 30, 2026.

What analysts say

New Street Policy Analyst Blair Levin noted that California's approval was expected any day, following a filing by an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) the previous evening.

The approval came after Verizon agreed to key conditions around diversity, equity, and inclusion. This includes setting up a recruiting pipeline for underrepresented groups and holding regular meetings with state officials and addressing earlier concerns about conflicts with California's diversity laws.

As you've may heard, Trump's administration previously insisted that Verizon should tone down its DEI activities. Then, CPUC pressured Verizon not to abandon DEI if it wants the deal to go through.

Deployment requirements were another major focus. Verizon explained that delivering broadband speeds of 100/20 Mbps or higher to all 88 Frontier wire centers would be costly and challenging, particularly in remote, mountainous regions.

The company successfully gained exemptions for locations already served by other providers or where no customer had requested service.

However, CPUC Commissioner John Reynolds stressed that deployment obligations remain enforceable, while noting Verizon could seek state grants to offset costs in difficult areas. He also highlighted that without these investments, rural and low-income communities risk degraded service as older copper infrastructure ages.

In addition to DEI and deployment commitments, Verizon pledged $500 million in investments for California small businesses and $20-per-month broadband for low-income consumers, ensuring the deal brings tangible community benefits.