Officials express optimism following CenturyLink hearing

Rappahannock County officials are cautiously optimistic that poor communication on behalf of CenturyLink may improve in the aftermath of a hearing before the Virginia State Corporation Commission where several counties aired grievances with the company’s service.

Last Wednesday Wakefield Supervisor and Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors Chair Debbie Donehey spoke before the SCC alongside officials from Albemarle, Nelson, Warren and Buckingham counties in a bid to regulate the behavior of Lumen Technologies, CenturyLink’s parent company, as it seeks to transfer its assets to fiber optics company Connect Holding, LLC as part of its sale of CenturyLink.

In a letter filed with the SCC that served as pretext for her planned remarks before the body, Donehey asked that the commission require as part of the asset transfer a formal process for citizens experiencing outages and who do not receive timely service from the provider to have their local government work through a mandated process with the company to restore phone or internet connection.

Donehey said the two- day hearing featured very similar stories and concerns from many of those who spoke before the commission, including both public officials and residents. A review of the transcript showed that many testified CenturyLink has unreliable service and poor customer service, which pose public safety concerns if people in remote areas are unable to contact others in times of potential need.

CenturyLink indicated several times in the lead-up to the hearing that they were willing to agree to those wishes without government intervention. “They felt the pressure coming and I think wanted to make sure the SEC knew they were going to do it,” Donehey said.

“It’s too soon to say [mission accomplished], but the mission was to be loud. And I think we were heard from all around the state.”

Attorneys Eric Page and Cody Murphey, who spoke on behalf of Lumen Technologies and Connect Holding, LLC argued that the asset transfer may be what the company needs in order to ensure better service.

“I do want to mention that senior regulatory and operations personnel from both Lumen and Connect Holding listened intently to every comment made by every witness,” Page said, according to the transcript. “Those individuals have also read and absorbed the written public comments submitted in this docket.”