Qwest to Launch Broadband Services

Qwest Communications International Inc.
said Thursday it will offer business customers in California a new choice
for high-speed local broadband access.

All the company’s clients will be
able to transmit Net, data, image and voice communications directly to Qwest’s (QWST)
nationwide fiber-optic network, QwestLink.

To bolster the move, the company will add more than 100 jobs in California,
including the appointment of Steven Haggerty as regional president of
broadband local access services in the state. Haggerty formerly served as a
member of the senior management team at Nokia (NOK).

“Once again, Qwest is redefining the competitive boundaries for broadband
Internet communications by introducing new services to bring the power of
the Qwest Internet network directly to customers in major markets
throughout the state,” said Joseph P. Nacchio, Qwest’s chairman and chief executive officer..

Qwest’s new broadband technologies will include:

• Direct broadband access geared for large national accounts that
  require large bandwidth needs. Will help support bundled data and voice
  applications while providing necessary security
• Fixed Wireless offering mid-size businesses with up to 100
  megabits of high-speed access to support the use of bandwidth intensive
  applications such as video streaming and real-time interactive collaboration
• DSL for telecommuters, remote office access, Net access
  desktop video conferencing and voice communications for small businesses.
  DSL is up to 100 times faster than other remote connection technologies.

Qwest has also announced interest in developing local fiber networks in
more than 25 major cities in the next two years, racking up more than 375,000 local fiber miles.