Qwest Communications International Inc. on Wednesday said it has 1 million long-distance customers in 12 states within its 14-state local phone territory.
The Denver-based regional Bell operating company has been marketing long-distance service to homes and businesses for only six months in nine states, and only a few months in three other Western states.
Qwest, the country’s No. 4 local phone company, had been prohibited from marketing long-distance service within its incumbent territory until it opened its local network to rivals as required by the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
Qwest does not yet have authority to provide long-distance service in Arizona or Minnesota. Qwest expects the Federal Communications Commission to rule this week on whether to grant the company long-distance authority in Minnesota.
Qwest says it will file for long-distance authority in Arizona within the next few months.
In December, the FCC granted Qwest long-distance approval in Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Qwest received FCC approval four months later in New Mexico, Oregon and South Dakota.
