WA state commission fines CenturyLink over long wait times, lack of documents
The Washington state Utilities and Transportation Commission have fined CenturyLink over violations regarding response times and providing documentation to the UTC, the agency announced.
CenturyLink was fined $133,000 for the violations. The company is part of Lumen Technologies and is the largest local telephone company in Washington.
According to a news release, the commission issued penalties against CenturyLink for 169 violations of WAC 480-07-175(2)(b), which requires companies to make business documents available for commission inspection.
The company also was issued penalties for nine violations of WAC 480-120-133(2)(c), which requires telephone companies to connect customers to a live representative within 60 seconds of selecting the option to do so.
The 178 total violations took place between March 2023 through February 2024 and March 2022 to November 2022.
The commission assessed a $750 penalty per violation, leading to a total fine of $133,500. CenturyLink must pay this penalty by Dec. 30.
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, cellular, cable, or internet service.
This story was originally published December 24, 2024 at 10:37 AM.
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