Qwest Communications Chairman and CEO Dick Notebaert says ADSL; systems integration for the middle business market; and new services and opportunities on the consumer and business side enabled by the company’s recent re-entry into long distance will be the key areas fueling growth at the company going forward.
Notebaert notes that Qwest recently increased its budget for additional ADSL deployment this year by $75 million. That’s on top of the $30 million to $40 million already allocated for ADSL, says Teresa Taylor, executive vice president of products. Qwest has at least 4.2 million ADSL-capable lines, with 535,000 DSL customers reported as of the end of 2002, says Tad Jones, director of product management for consumer DSL.
Cliff Holtz, executive vice president of the business markets group at Qwest, says in a couple days the company plans to announce its systems integration business, which will be headed by a former employee of one of the big systems integrators. This new business will serve customers from Qwest’s existing five “channels” which include global, small business, national/mid market, federal government and state and local governments, says Holtz.
Of course, long distance entry is also key for Qwest to expand its consumer bundle as well as to enable more widespread and flexible business services. The company already offers in-region long distance in nine of its states. The FCC should make a ruling on Qwest’s long distance applications for New Mexico, Oregon and South Dakota by April 15; a Minnesota application filed March 27 should be addressed by regulators by late June; and Qwest expects to seek permission shortly to offer long distance in Arizona, according to Steve Davis, senior vice president of Qwest public policy.
