Frontier Communications shareholders have approved a $9.6 billion sale to Verizon, the company said on Wednesday, even as a number of large investors sought to get a higher price. Shareholders had until Wednesday to cast their votes on a deal that Verizon's CEO Hans Vestberg called a "strategic fit" that would allow the company to be more competitive in additional markets.

Shareholders of pure-play fiber internet provider Frontier Communications Parent, Inc. ($FYBR) on Wednesday have approved the acquisition of the company by Verizon Communications Inc. ($VZ) at a special meeting.

In the deal, subject to regulatory approval, Verizon would acquire Frontier in an all-cash transaction worth $20 billion . Currently, Frontier serves over 2.2 million fiber subscribers across 25 states. If approved, the deal would give Verizon over 25 million fibre passings across 31 states.