Integra Telecom Will Not Oppose CenturyLink + Qwest Merger

CenturyLink and Qwest Communications reached an agreement on wholesale conditions with Integra Telecom that resolves concerns Integra raised about the companies' pending merger in some states where Qwest operates. As a result of the agreement, Integra says the CenturyLink-Qwest merger is in the public interest, and it will no longer oppose the transaction in state and federal proceedings.


"Since the CenturyLink and Qwest merger announcement, we have met with Integra as well as other competitive local exchange companies (CLECs) to address their concerns," said Bill Cheek, president of CenturyLink Wholesale Operations. "We are pleased to have addressed Integra's concerns and reached this agreement. As a significant interconnecting network customer of Qwest, it is important that both Integra and CenturyLink forge an effective working relationship that will carry forward post-merger closing. This agreement accomplishes that goal. CenturyLink has a proven track record of successfully integrating companies and providing high-quality, value-added services to customers. We have well-established integration processes that ensure all systems, employee skill sets and operational issues are executed seamlessly and efficiently for all customer segments—including CLECs."


"After extensive negotiations over the last month, we are pleased to have arrived at an agreement that resolves all of our issues with the merger," said Dudley Slater, chief executive officer of Integra Telecom. "This addresses the concerns we had regarding the potential risks the merger posed and from our perspective, the merger is in the public interest and should be approved."http://www.qwest.com
http://www.centurylink.com