Frontier West Virginia
Encyclopedia
Frontier West Virginia, Inc. is one of the original Bell Operating Companies and provides local telephone service
in West Virginia
.
, was founded on January 1, 1917. C&P of WV took over telephone operations in West Virginia
being served by Southern Bell and C&P Telephone Co. of Maryland
.
by AT&T
.
Charleston became the first city in the United States to have a choice of long distance companies. By dialing "1" plus the area code and number, they could choose their long distance carrier. Charleston was the nation's first test market for the service, allowing 34,000 customers to choose from one of eight long distance companies serving the area.
C&P Telephone Co. of WV was the last Bell Atlantic company to provide party line
telephone service. The last party line was converted to "private line" service on October 30, 1989.
In 1993, C&P Telephone of West Virginia took its last analog switch out of service, becoming the first Bell Operating Company to have 100% digital switching
, Bell Atlantic became Verizon Communications
, resulting in the new name Verizon West Virginia, Inc.
to Frontier Communications. Included in the sale was Verizon West Virginia, among other select Verizon landline properties, which became Frontier West Virginia, Inc. The company operates separately from Citizens Telecommunications Company of West Virginia
, the existing Frontier provider in the state.
, New Hampshire
, and Maine
to FairPoint. U S WEST, one of the original Baby Bells, was acquired by non-Bell company Qwest
in 2000. Its ILEC subsidiary, U S WEST Communications, originally Mountain Bell, was renamed Qwest Corporation
. In 2011, Qwest was acquired by CenturyLink
.
POTS
POTS may refer to:* Plain old telephone service, basic wireline telecommunication connection** POTS codec, a digital audio device** DSL filter, also known as a POTS filter* Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, a medical condition...
in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
.
History
The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of West Virginia, originally part of the Bell SystemBell System
The Bell System was the American Bell Telephone Company and then, subsequently, AT&T led system which provided telephone services to much of the United States and Canada from 1877 to 1984, at various times as a monopoly. In 1984, the company was broken up into separate companies, by a U.S...
, was founded on January 1, 1917. C&P of WV took over telephone operations in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
being served by Southern Bell and C&P Telephone Co. of Maryland
C&P Telephone
The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company, usually known as C&P Telephone, was a d/b/a name for four Bell Operating Companies providing service to Washington, D.C., Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia....
.
Bell Atlantic ownership
In 1984, The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of West Virginia became a holding of Bell Atlantic, upon the divestiture of the Bell SystemBell System
The Bell System was the American Bell Telephone Company and then, subsequently, AT&T led system which provided telephone services to much of the United States and Canada from 1877 to 1984, at various times as a monopoly. In 1984, the company was broken up into separate companies, by a U.S...
by AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
.
Charleston became the first city in the United States to have a choice of long distance companies. By dialing "1" plus the area code and number, they could choose their long distance carrier. Charleston was the nation's first test market for the service, allowing 34,000 customers to choose from one of eight long distance companies serving the area.
Party line (telephony)
In twentieth-century telephone systems, a party line is an arrangement in which two or more customers are connected directly to the same local loop. Prior to World War II in the United States, party lines were the primary way residential subscribers acquired local telephone service...
telephone service. The last party line was converted to "private line" service on October 30, 1989.
In 1993, C&P Telephone of West Virginia took its last analog switch out of service, becoming the first Bell Operating Company to have 100% digital switching
Name changes
In 1994, Bell Atlantic standardized all of its Bell Operating Company names, resulting in C&P Telephone of West Virginia being renamed Bell Atlantic - West Virginia, Inc. In 2000, upon its purchase of GTEGTE
GTE Corporation, formerly General Telephone & Electronics Corporation was the largest independent telephone company in the United States during the days of the Bell System....
, Bell Atlantic became Verizon Communications
Verizon Communications
Verizon Communications Inc. is a global broadband and telecommunications company and a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average...
, resulting in the new name Verizon West Virginia, Inc.
Sale to Frontier
On July 1, 2010, Verizon sold New Communications ILEC HoldingsFrontier Communications ILEC Holdings
Frontier Communications ILEC Holdings, Inc. is a company created by Verizon Communications in 2009. The company, sold to Frontier Communications on July 1, 2010, serves as a holding company for former Bell System, Contel, and GTE telephone operating companies that were owned by Verizon prior to...
to Frontier Communications. Included in the sale was Verizon West Virginia, among other select Verizon landline properties, which became Frontier West Virginia, Inc. The company operates separately from Citizens Telecommunications Company of West Virginia
Citizens Telecommunications Company of West Virginia
Citizens Telecommunications Company of West Virginia is the local exchange carrier of telephone service in some regions in West Virginia.The company was founded in 1897 as the Short Line Telephone Company. In 1975, the company changed its name to Mountain State Telephone Company...
, the existing Frontier provider in the state.
Unique
Frontier West Virginia is the only Bell Operating Company to have been completely divested by a Baby Bell to a non-Baby Bell. Some historic Bell local access lines have been sold to non-Baby Bells, such as sale of some Wisconsin Telephone lines to CenturyTel and Verizon New England lines in VermontVermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, and Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
to FairPoint. U S WEST, one of the original Baby Bells, was acquired by non-Bell company Qwest
Qwest
Qwest Communications International, Inc. was a large United States telecommunications carrier. Qwest provided local service in 14 western U.S. states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.On April...
in 2000. Its ILEC subsidiary, U S WEST Communications, originally Mountain Bell, was renamed Qwest Corporation
Qwest Corporation
Qwest Corporation is a Bell Operating Company owned by CenturyLink. It was formerly named U S WEST Communications, Inc. from 1991 to 2000, and also formerly named The Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company from 1911 to 1991...
. In 2011, Qwest was acquired by CenturyLink
CenturyLink
CenturyLink, Inc. is a United States telecommunications firm, headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana. The company, founded as Central Telephone & Electronics Corporation in 1968, later changed its name to Century Telephone Enterprises, Inc. in 1971, and then was called CenturyTel, Inc. from 1999 to 2010...
.