Commitments And Contingencies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022
Commitments And Contingencies [Abstract]
Commitments And Contingencies	(16) Commitments and Contingencies: Although from time to time we make short-term purchasing commitments to vendors with respect to capital expenditures, we generally do not enter into firm, written contracts for such activities. In connection with the accelerated fiber build, we have prioritized diversifying our vendor base and finalizing agreements with vendors for relevant labor and materials. Some of these agreements have initial two-year terms with an option to extend for two years through 2025. In 2015, Frontier accepted the FCC’s CAF Phase II offer, which provided $313 million in annual support through 2021, to make available 10 Mbps downstream/1 Mbps upstream broadband service to households across some of the 25 states where we operate. The deployment deadline was December 31, 2021, and final review and audit of households is not complete. To the extent it is determined we did not enable the required number of households with 10 Mbps downstream/1 Mbps upstream broadband service or we were unable to satisfy other CAF Phase II requirements, Frontier will be required to return a portion of the funds previously received and may be subject to certain other requirements and obligations. We have accrued an amount for any potential shortfall in the household build commitment that we deem to be probable and reasonably estimated, and we do not expect that any potential penalties, if ultimately incurred, will be material. On January 30, 2020, the FCC adopted an order establishing RDOF, a competitive reverse auction to provide support to serve high cost areas. Under the FCCs RDOF Phase I auction, Frontier was awarded approximately $371 million over ten years to build gigabit-capable broadband over a fiber-to-the-premises network to approximately 127,000 locations in eight states (California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia). Frontier began receiving RDOF funding in the second quarter of 2022 and we will be required to complete the buildout to the awarded locations by December 31, 2028, with interim target milestones over this period. On July 27, 2022, the Connecticut Public Utility Regulatory Authority (“PURA”) issued a Notice of Violation and Assessment of Civil Penalty Order to Cease and Desist (“NOV”) related to the underground excavation and placement of fiber facilities by Frontier and its contractors in Connecticut. The NOV alleged that Frontier and its contractors failed to comply with certain state excavation regulations which created public safety and compliance issues. The NOV prescribed a fine and ordered Frontier to discontinue certain underground fiber deployment work until the Company submitted a compliance plan to ensure compliance with the applicable regulations. Frontier submitted a compliance and inspection plan consistent with the NOV and paid the fine. On August 26, 2022, PURA approved Frontier’s compliance and inspection plan, and the Company is proceeding with underground fiber deployment in Connecticut. In addition, we are party to various legal proceedings (including individual actions, class and putative class actions, and governmental investigations) arising in the normal course of our business covering a wide range of matters and types of claims including, but not limited to, general contract disputes, billing disputes, rights of access, taxes and surcharges, consumer protection, advertising, sales and the provision of services, intellectual property, including, trademark, copyright, and patent infringement, employment, regulatory, tort, claims of competitors and disputes with other carriers. Litigation is subject to uncertainty and the outcome of individual matters is not predictable. However, we believe that the ultimate resolution of all such matters, after considering insurance coverage or other indemnities to which we are entitled, will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. In October 2013, the California Attorney General’s Office notified certain Verizon companies, including one of the subsidiaries that we acquired in the CTF Acquisition, of potential violations of California state hazardous waste statutes primarily arising from the disposal of electronic components, batteries and aerosol cans at certain California facilities. We are cooperating with this investigation. We have accrued an amount for potential penalties that we deem to be probable and reasonably estimated, and we do not expect that any potential penalties, if ultimately incurred, will be material. We accrue an expense for pending litigation when we determine that an unfavorable outcome is probable, and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Legal defense costs are expensed as incurred. None of our existing accruals for pending matters, after considering insurance coverage, is material. We monitor our pending litigation for the purpose of adjusting our accruals and revising our disclosures accordingly, when required. Litigation is, however, subject to uncertainty, and the outcome of any particular matter is not predictable. We will vigorously defend our interests in pending litigation, and as of this date, we believe that the ultimate resolution of all such matters, after considering insurance coverage or other indemnities to which we are entitled, will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or our cash flows. We conduct certain of our operations in leased premises and also lease certain equipment and other assets pursuant to operating leases. The lease arrangements have terms ranging from 1 to 99 years and several contain rent escalation clauses providing for increases in monthly rent at specific intervals. When rent escalation clauses exist, we record annual rental expense based on the total expected rent payments on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Certain leases also have renewal options. Renewal options that are reasonably assured are included in determining the lease term. We are party to contracts with several unrelated long-distance carriers. The contracts provide fees based on traffic they carry for us subject to minimum monthly fees. ‎

Commitments And Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2022

Commitments And Contingencies [Abstract]

(16) Commitments and Contingencies:

Although from time to time we make short-term purchasing commitments to vendors with respect to capital expenditures, we generally do not enter into firm, written contracts for such activities. In connection with the accelerated fiber build, we have prioritized diversifying our vendor base and finalizing agreements with vendors for relevant labor and materials. Some of these agreements have initial two-year terms with an option to extend for two years through 2025.

In 2015, Frontier accepted the FCC’s CAF Phase II offer, which provided $313 million in annual support through 2021, to make available 10 Mbps downstream/1 Mbps upstream broadband service to households across some of the 25 states where we operate. The deployment deadline was December 31, 2021, and final review and audit of households is not complete. To the extent it is determined we did not enable the required number of households with 10 Mbps downstream/1 Mbps upstream broadband service or we were unable to satisfy other CAF Phase II requirements, Frontier will be required to return a portion of the funds previously received and may be subject to certain other requirements and obligations. We have accrued an amount for any potential shortfall in the household build commitment that we deem to be probable and reasonably estimated, and we do not expect that any potential penalties, if ultimately incurred, will be material.

On January 30, 2020, the FCC adopted an order establishing RDOF, a competitive reverse auction to provide support to serve high cost areas. Under the FCCs RDOF Phase I auction, Frontier was awarded approximately $371 million over ten years to build gigabit-capable broadband over a fiber-to-the-premises network to approximately 127,000 locations in eight states (California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia). Frontier began receiving RDOF funding in the second quarter of 2022 and we will be required to complete the buildout to the awarded locations by December 31, 2028, with interim target milestones over this period.

On July 27, 2022, the Connecticut Public Utility Regulatory Authority (“PURA”) issued a Notice of Violation and Assessment of Civil Penalty Order to Cease and Desist (“NOV”) related to the underground excavation and placement of fiber facilities by Frontier and its contractors in Connecticut. The NOV alleged that Frontier and its contractors failed to comply with certain state excavation regulations which created public safety and compliance issues. The NOV prescribed a fine and ordered Frontier to discontinue certain underground fiber deployment work until the Company submitted a compliance plan to ensure compliance with the applicable regulations. Frontier submitted a compliance and inspection plan consistent with the NOV and paid the fine. On August 26, 2022, PURA approved Frontier’s compliance and inspection plan, and the Company is proceeding with underground fiber deployment in Connecticut.

In addition, we are party to various legal proceedings (including individual actions, class and putative class actions, and governmental investigations) arising in the normal course of our business covering a wide range of matters and types of claims including, but not limited to, general contract disputes, billing disputes, rights of access, taxes and surcharges, consumer protection, advertising, sales and the provision of services, intellectual property, including, trademark, copyright, and patent infringement, employment, regulatory, tort, claims of competitors and disputes with other carriers. Litigation is subject to uncertainty and the outcome of individual matters is not predictable. However, we believe that the ultimate resolution of all such matters, after considering insurance coverage or other indemnities to which we are entitled, will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

In October 2013, the California Attorney General’s Office notified certain Verizon companies, including one of the subsidiaries that we acquired in the CTF Acquisition, of potential violations of California state hazardous waste statutes primarily arising from the disposal of electronic components, batteries and aerosol cans at certain California facilities. We are cooperating with this investigation. We have accrued an amount for potential penalties that we deem to be probable and reasonably estimated, and we do not expect that any potential penalties, if ultimately incurred, will be material.

We accrue an expense for pending litigation when we determine that an unfavorable outcome is probable, and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Legal defense costs are expensed as incurred. None of our existing accruals for pending matters, after considering insurance coverage, is material. We monitor our pending litigation for the purpose of adjusting our accruals and revising our disclosures accordingly, when required. Litigation is, however, subject to uncertainty, and the outcome of any particular matter is not predictable. We will vigorously defend our interests in pending litigation, and as of this date, we believe that the ultimate resolution of all such matters, after considering insurance coverage or other indemnities to which we are entitled, will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or our cash flows.

We conduct certain of our operations in leased premises and also lease certain equipment and other assets pursuant to operating leases. The lease arrangements have terms ranging from 1 to 99 years and several contain rent escalation clauses providing for increases in monthly rent at specific intervals. When rent escalation clauses exist, we record annual rental expense based on the total expected rent payments on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Certain leases also have renewal options. Renewal options that are reasonably assured are included in determining the lease term.

We are party to contracts with several unrelated long-distance carriers. The contracts provide fees based on traffic they carry for us subject to minimum monthly fees.

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