Qwest Communications
International Inc., Monday launched Q.home Internet Services, its new Internet
offering targeting both the consumer and business segment.
The service is the result of a series of aggressive acquisitions and
alliances put together over the past six months.
Q.home now offers comsumer dial-up access, Web hosting, paging and
conferencing and fax services in addition to Qwest Communication’s current
broadband business and consumer IP services. Q.home is available in 95
percent of the nation’s homes and business.
Qwest completed its merger with Icon CMT
Corp. earlier this month. The merger with the Web hosting company
further solidified Qwest’s strategic alliance with Microsoft Corp. to deliver advanced
hosting and e-commerce applications by the second quarter of this year.
Qwest attained revenue sharing and customer acquisition agreements with Netscape Communications Corp.. Qwest
signed a multi-million dollar, multi-year agreement with
Covad Communications Group Inc. last
week to obtain DSL access in 22 U.S. metropolitan markets.
“From the beginning, Qwest built its world class network to be optimized
for the Internet and to help drive the convergence of image, data and voice
communications,” said Joseph P. Nacchio, Qwest president and chief
executive officer.
“With
experts predicting 28 million households and 2 million businesses will be
online by the end of this year, Qwest intends to seize the enormous market
opportunity and provide businesses and consumers with fast, reliable and
secure Internet applications and benefits.”