Settlement Highlighted by CenturyLink’s Enhanced Quality Assurance Program, New Remedial Measures and $45,000 Civil Penalty

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today approved a settlement between The United Telephone Company of Pennsylvania LLC d/b/a CenturyLink (CenturyLink) and the PUC’s independent Bureau of Investigation & Enforcement (I&E), following I&E’s informal investigation into alleged outages, unreliable service and general customer service complaints.

The Commission voted 5-0 to approve a Joint Petition for Approval of Settlement between CenturyLink and I&E – which began an informal investigation based upon multiple informal complaints received by the PUC’s Bureau of Consumer Services (BCS) and concerns raised by state legislators in the fall of 2021.   Based on those complaints, I&E’s investigation alleged the following violations by CenturyLink as a rural incumbent local exchange carrier:

• Failure to provide reasonable, continuous service.
• Failure to address or repair the service outage in a reasonable amount of time.
• Failure to respond to downed wire or poles and/or broken poles in a reasonable time.
• Failure to provide adequate customer service and address service outages.

Under the conditions of the settlement, CenturyLink agrees to the following:

• Pay a $45,000 civil penalty, which will not be tax deductible or able to be passed through as an additional charge to CenturyLink’s customer in Pennsylvania.
  
• Implement numerous remedial measures, including but not limited to the ongoing implementation of CenturyLink’s Quality Assurance Program as well as ongoing status and progress reports with both BCS and legislative offices.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.