Qwest Communications submitted long-distance applications for five states to the Federal Communications Commission this week.
Under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, each regional Bell operating company - Verizon, BellSouth, SBC and Qwest - must prove that it is giving competitors access to the RBOC's network in states where the RBOC is the dominant local carrier before the RBOC is allowed to offer long-distance services in those states.
Qwest, through its 1999 acquisition of U.S. West, is the dominant local carrier in 14 Western and Midwestern states. The five states for which Qwest has filed applications are Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska and North Dakota.
Qwest is the only RBOC that has not yet obtained long-distance approval in any states from the FCC. The FCC has 90 days to decide whether to approve Qwest's applications.
Qwest says it plans to file applications for its other nine states over the course of the summer and fall.
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