Media contact: 360-664-1116 or media@utc.wa.gov
Docket number: UT-240117
Editor’s note: This news release reflects the position of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission Consumer Protection staff and NOT the views of the commissioners. It discusses a staff investigation that commissioners have not yet reviewed. Any positions taken or comments offered by staff regarding this proceeding should be attributed clearly to UTC staff and NOT to the UTC.
LACEY, Wash. - Staff from the Utilities and Transportation Commission recommend that the commission issue a formal complaint and impose penalties against CenturyLink Communications, LLC for $15,567,770. This is one of the largest penalties ever recommended by commission staff.
Following a substantial increase in consumer complaints about CenturyLink, UTC staff launched an investigation focused on two areas – the quality of service provided by CenturyLink and the company’s responsiveness to requests for information from commission staff.
Staff reviewed service quality, service outages, and service interruption data provided by CenturyLink from April 1, 2023, through March 12, 2024. Staff also reviewed informal consumer complaints to the commission regarding service quality from March 13, 2024, to Jan. 1, 2025. During the investigation, staff documented a total of 1,663,664 violations.
State law allows public service companies that violate the law to be fined up to $1,000 per offense. Each day the violation continues is considered a separate offense. The recommended penalty of roughly $15.5 million demonstrates the commission staff’s reasonable attempt to address the seriousness of CenturyLink’s violations, encourage the company’s compliance, and discourage repeat violations.
The commission will hold a virtual prehearing conference for this case at 9:30 a.m. on April 30, 2025.
Breakdown of the recommended penalties
Penalties are recommended across three categories:
- Failing to provide services in a sufficient, prompt, and reasonable manner, and ensuring that equipment and facilities were in good condition and repair. Staff found 827,828 violations and recommend penalties of $7,183,285.
- Failing to provide adequate maintenance to ensure all facilities are in safe and serviceable condition, failing to immediately correct conditions, endangering continuity of service, and failing to promptly repair or replace broken, damaged, or deteriorated equipment. Staff found 827,828 violations and recommend penalties of $7,183,285.
- Failing to thoroughly investigate commission-referred complaints, report the results, and respond to urgent complaints within two business days and staff requests for additional information within three business days. Staff found 8,008 violations and recommend penalties of $1,201,200.
Penalties in the first two categories are based on an escalating methodology that includes the length of time violations existed and range from $5 to $100 per violation. A flat penalty of $150 for each violation is recommended for the third category.
CenturyLink is the largest local telephone company in Washington, serving approximately 650,000 residential and business lines.
The UTC regulates the rates and services of telecommunications companies, investor-owned electric utilities, natural gas and water companies, garbage-collection haulers, household-goods movers and passenger transportation companies, commercial ferries, pipeline companies, marine pilotage, and a low-level radioactive waste repository. The commission does not regulate the rates of broadband services, cellular, cable, or Internet service.
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