[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 87 (Monday, July 10, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S6346]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING QWEST COMMUNICATIONS INTERNATIONAL

 Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I rise to comment on some 
significant developments that have recently taken place in my home 
state of Colorado that will positively benefit the entire world of 
telecommunications.
  Qwest Communications International, Inc. of Denver, a young, 
worldwide leader in broadband Internet-based communications, continues 
to expand its technologies and vision for the coming century. Just 
three and one-half years ago, this innovative company catapulted the 
world into the Information Age beginning by branding its nation-wide 
fiber-optic network and developing connections into Mexico, 
intercontinental cable to Europe and transpacific submarine capacity to 
the Pacific Rim. The Company's services provide a full range of 
leading-edge data, voice, video, e-commerce, web-hosting and related 
services to consumers and business customers, including a variety of 
multimillion dollar government contracts recently awarded to Qwest, 
such as the Treasury Department and DOE's Energy Sciences Network.
  Qwest has positioned itself for the new Information Age economy by 
combining its strengths and forming numerous strategic alliances, 
partnerships and evolving its next-generation infrastructure through a 
variety of acquisitions.
  About one year ago Qwest and U.S. WEST announced their intent to 
merge. On Friday, June 30 that merger became reality.
  I applaud the FCC, the states and other appropriate agencies for 
reviewing and approving this complementary merger in a respectable 
timeframe and in accordance with the 1996 Telecommunications Act. This 
now allows the ``new'' Qwest to bring a different competitive dynamic 
to the global marketplace.
  I ask my colleagues today to join me in commending the regulatory 
bodies for enhancing the process of this merger and to the Companies' 
merger review team, led by Drake Tempest and Steve Davis, as well as 
other Company officials. In closing, I extend my best wishes for 
continued success to Qwest and its Chairman and CEO, Joe Nacchio. Mr. 
Nacchio will resume the leadership of the ``new'' Qwest to bring the 
benefits of this global Company to all of our constituents.

                          ____________________