Frontier Communications shareholders gave their stamp of approval for Verizon’s proposed $20 billion deal to buy the company, despite opposition from several large investors.

At yesterday’s special meeting (13 November) 63 per cent of Frontier’s stockholders voted in favour of the buyout, with ten of the company’s top 12 investors backing the deal.

The Financial Times recently reported Glendon Capital Management and Cerberus Capital Management were seeking a higher deal price. Collectively they own a 17 per cent stake in Frontier, according to the news site.

Frontier issued a statement outlining its expectation the deal would close in Q1 2026, subject to garnering regulatory approvals.

A representative for Verizon told Mobile World Live the shareholder vote marks “an important milestone” and it looks “forward to realising the benefits of what will be an exciting and expanded offering that brings more choice, flexibility and value to millions of customers nationwide”.

Frontier Communications will bring 2.2 million fibre subscribers into Verizon’s footprint, increasing the operator’s reach to 25 million premises across 31 US states along with Washington DC.