UTC staff recommend $923,000 penalty for improper CenturyLink disconnections

The Washington state Utilities and Transportation Commission has filed a complaint against CenturyLink Communications LLC, doing business as Lumen Technologies, for disconnecting customers’ phone service during the COVID-19 pandemic in violation of the commission’s rules and a proclamation by the governor.

A UTC staff investigation found that CenturyLink and its affiliates disconnected service to 923 customers for non-payment after Gov. Jay Inslee issued a proclamation temporarily barring Washington utilities from dropping service for lack of payment.

UTC staff are asking that the commission fine CenturyLink up to $1,000 per violation, totaling $923,000.

During the investigation, CenturyLink asserted that 743 of the disconnections did not violate the governor’s proclamation because the company suspended the customer accounts, rather than canceling them. Staff found that while CenturyLink might differentiate between disconnected and suspended accounts internally, the company violated the intention of the governor’s proclamation by cutting customers off from service when they were most vulnerable.

UTC staff initially discovered the disconnections after issuing a data request as part of the commission’s work to address the pandemic’s impact on customers and utilities in Washington.

The Utilities and Transportation Commission will hold a pre-hearing conference on May 23 to establish a schedule for reviewing the complaint.

CenturyLink is the largest local telephone company in Washington, serving approximately 650,000 residential and business lines.

This story was originally published April 7, 2022 at 10:39 AM.