Verizon finalises $20bn Frontier deal, fibre network now reaches 30m homes

Verizon has closed its $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications, folding Frontier’s fibre network into its Fios footprint. The combined network now passes about 30 million homes across the US, with Frontier adding 8.8 million fibre passings to Verizon’s existing build. Verizon says it aims to push that reach to 35–40 million locations over time, accelerating a fibre expansion plan that previously targeted more than 30 million passings by 2028.

The deal faced heavy scrutiny from regulators and shareholders, with the California Public Utilities Commission only recently approving it and attaching conditions that reflect broader concerns about telecom consolidation. Verizon plans to use the enlarged fibre footprint to sell bundled broadband and mobile packages, support faster home broadband and smart home services, and back its 5G fixed wireless strategy. CEO Dan Schulman framed the move as a bid for scale and customer growth, with a focus on retaining Frontier staff and integrating operations.