Verizon-Frontier deal inches toward California approval

California regulators are moving closer to signing off on Frontier Communications’ plan to buy Verizon’s wireline assets in the state, but they are not giving the company a free pass.

An administrative law judge at the California Public Utilities Commission has issued a proposed decision that would allow the deal to proceed in early 2026, but only if Frontier accepts a long list of conditions. Those include investment and service-quality commitments aimed at protecting customers and improving networks in Verizon’s former service areas. The proposal still needs a final vote from the commission before the transaction can close.