MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) -- Regulators in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are looking into an allegation that FairPoint Communications faked its readiness to take over the region's dominant telephone network from Verizon during a review by a consultant to the states, officials said Monday.
FairPoint has been hit with unprecedented numbers of consumer complaints including billing errors, service order delays and long waits on call-in complaint lines since it took over Verizon's phone networks in the three states Feb. 1.
Now state regulators are reviewing an anonymous e-mail from someone claiming that during tests leading up to the Feb. 1 "cutover," FairPoint created a computer program "to deceive the audience into believing they were watching a real demonstration" of its readiness. A Maine regulator believes the e-mail is from a FairPoint insider.
FairPoint issued a statement quoting its CEO, David Hauser, saying, "We take these allegations seriously and will do a thorough investigation." Hauser, who took over as FairPoint CEO in June, noted that the company has a link on its Web site for employees and others to report alleged ethics violations.
Two calls to FairPoint's corporate headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., seeking further comment were not immediately returned.
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