CenturyLink fined $923,000 for illegally disconnecting service during pandemic

A Utilities and Transportation Commission administrative law judge levied a $923,000 fine last week against CenturyLink for suspending or disconnecting almost 1,000 accounts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CenturyLink, doing business as Lumen Technologies, faces a $1,000 penalty per violation after unlawfully disconnecting 923 customers protected by an emergency proclamation issued by Gov. Jay Inslee, according to a press release Thursday. The proclamation prohibited telecommunication providers from disconnecting services for residential customers.

The order from the judge noted that the violations were “both serious and harmful to the public” as telecommunication services were deemed essential during the pandemic.

Lumen tried to argue that because “the disconnections were inadvertent and only affected a small percentage of its customers” that they should not be penalized. Lumen will have 20 days to request a review from the UTC.

The complaint was first filed against Lumen in April 2022 after staff requested data from all telecommunications companies. CenturyLink serves about 650,000 residential and business lines and is the biggest telephone company in Washington, the press release said.