Telephone Company: Competitor Seeks Revenge With Lawsuit

A West Virginia telephone company says a competitor that filed a lawsuit against it is seeking revenge over a high-speed internet project.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that Frontier Communications has asked a judge to dismiss the federal lawsuit that Citynet filed against it last month. Frontier says Citynet is seeking revenge because the federal government awarded funds to Frontier’s proposed broadband project instead of Citynet’s proposal.

In the lawsuit, Citynet alleges that Frontier misused $40.5 million in federal funds and built a fiber broadband network designed to shut out competitors in the state. It also accused Frontier of double-billing, falsifying records and charging excess fees.

Frontier has called the lawsuit baseless. Company spokesman Andy Malinoski called Citynet “a disgruntled competitor.”