Integra Telecom joins companies and government groups in public filings in seven of Qwest’s 14 states
Portland, Ore. – Oct. 13, 2010 – Integra Telecom is among the dozens of companies, government agencies, labor unions and consumer groups that have filed Interventions with utility commissions in the seven largest states of Qwest’s 14-state service area to express reservations about the proposed CenturyLink merger with Qwest.
“We are part of a long and growing list of telecom providers and businesses across the nation that are gravely concerned about the proposed CenturyLink merger with Qwest. Each organization is urging state utility commissions and the FCC to proceed with caution,” said Dudley Slater, CEO of Integra Telecom. “The list includes many large organizations that represent businesses, consumer groups and unions, as well as government agencies such as the Department of Defense, all of which would be greatly impacted if the merger is not handled properly.”
Integra Telecom, like most all competitive carriers, interconnects its network with Qwest’s network. Integra executives say that all businesses who interconnect their networks with Qwest could be seriously undermined if the merger is approved without safeguards in place to ensure that disruptions don’t occur while the companies merge.
“Because Qwest’s vast network interconnects with many other networks, any change to Qwest’s operations could potentially disrupt service not only to Qwest’s customers, but to customers of other providers as well,” said Slater. “CenturyLink is acquiring a much larger regional Bell Operating Company with a vast network that serves millions – a tremendous responsibility. Any misstep could reverberate throughout Qwest’s 14 state territory.”
Integra executives are calling on the FCC and state utility commissions nationwide ton slow down the CenturyLink-Qwest merger long enough to understand the issues and insist on appropriate safeguards to protect residential and business consumers, and preserve competition in local telecom services.
Many businesses and consumers have contacted state commissions voicing similar concerns, plus many other organizations such as Integra Telecom have take the further step of filing formal interventions and becoming party to the state commission merger proceedings. The lists of businesses, government agencies, and other organizations that have joined Integra in intervening in the largest seven of Qwest’s 14 states are a matter of public record and include the following:
| State1 | Intervenor/Date Intervention Filed |
| Arizona | Integra Telecom (June 7, 2010) – granted July 1, 2010 |
| Closed | Residential Utility Consumer Office (June 2, 2010) – granted July 1, 2010 |
| 10-Sep | Cox Arizona Telecom (June 3, 2010) – granted July 1, 2010 |
| 2010 | tw telecom (June 7, 2010) – granted July 1, 2010 |
| Communications Workers of America (June 10, 2010) – granted July 1, 2010 | |
| Level 3 Communications (June 16, 2010) – granted July 1, 2010 | |
| US Department of Defense (filed June 18, 2010) – granted July 1, 2010 | |
| Pac-West Telecomm, Inc. (June 21, 2010) – granted July 1, 2010 | |
| PAETEC (June 17, 2010) – granted July 1, 2010 | |
| MCImetro Access/Verizon Access (filed July 12, 2010) – withdrawn July 14, 2010 | |
| Covad Communications (filed July 14, 2010) – granted July 27, 2010 | |
| XO Communications (filed July 19, 2010) – granted July 27, 2010 | |
| Westel, Inc. (filed September 9, 2010) – granted September 17, 2010 | |
| Colorado | Integra Telecom (June 2, 2010) – granted July 9, 2010 |
| Closed | Level3 (June 8, 2010) – granted July 9, 2010 |
| 2-Jul | Communication Workers of America (June 10, 2010) – granted July 9, 2010 |
| 2010 | Viaero (N.E. Colorado Cellular, Inc.) (June 17, 2010) – granted July 9, 2010 |
| CO Public Utilities Commission Staff (June 17, 2010) – granted July 9, 2010 | |
| McLeodUSA d/b/a PAETEC (June 28, 2010) – granted July 9, 2010 | |
| Tw telecom of CO (filed June 30, 2010) – granted July 9, 2010 | |
| CO Office of Consumer Counsel (filed July 1, 2010) – intervention noted July 9, 2010 | |
| U.S. Department of Defense and all other Federal Executive Agencies (filed July 1, | |
| 2010) – granted July 9, 2010 | |
| Cbeyond Communications (filed June 30, 2010) – granted July 9, 2010 | |
| Covad Communications (filed June 30, 2010) – granted July 9, 2010 | |
| Bresnan Broadband of CO (filed July 2, 2010) – granted July 9, 2010 | |
| Microtech-Tel (filed July 2, 2010) – granted July 9, 2010 | |
| iLOKA, Inc. (Microtech-Tel) (filed July 2, 2010) – granted July 9, 2010 | |
| Minnesota | Integra Telecom (June 2, 2010)- granted June 15, 2010 |
| Intervention | Velocity (May 21, 20101) – granted June 15, 2010 |
| Closed (June | Communications Workers of American (June 10, 2010) – granted July 16, 2010 |
| 25, 2010) | Sprint/Nextel (June 17. 2010) – granted July 16, 2010 |
| Extended to | Covad Communications (June 14, 2010) – granted July 16, 2010 |
| 29-Jul-10 | McLeodUSA d/b/a PAETEC Business Services, OrbitCom, Inc., TDS Metrocom, tw |
| telecom of MN, and Popp.com (collectively CLEC Coalition) (June 18, 2010) – | |
| granted 7/16/2010 | |
| T-Mobile Central, LLC (June 25, 2010) – granted July 16, 2010 | |
| Charter Fiberlink CCO (June 24, 2010) – granted July 16, 2010 | |
| Cbeyond (filed July 1, 2010) – granted July 16, 2010 | |
| Level 3 Communications (filed July 21, 2010) – granted August 9, 2010 | |
| Crystal Communications/HickoryTech/Enventis/CP Telecom (filed July 23, 2010) – | |
| granted August 9, 2010 | |
| Suburban Rate Authority (filed July 28, 2010) – granted August 9, 2010 | |
| Rural CLECs (filed July 29, 2010) – granted August 9, 2010 | |
| Montana | Blackfoot Communications, Inc. (June 9, 2010) – intervention granted July 7, 2010 |
| Closed | 3 Rivers Communications (June 24, 2010) – intervention granted July 7, 2010 |
| 2-Jul-10 | Montana Telecommunications Association (filed June 24, 2010) |
| Montana Department of Administration (Bureau) (filed June 30, 2010) – intervention | |
| granted July 7, 2010 | |
| Integra Telecom (filed June 30, 2010) – intervention granted July 7, 2010 | |
| Bresnan Broadband of Montana (filed July 1, 2010) – intervention granted July 7, 2010 | |
| Montana Consumer Counsel (filed July 2, 2010) – intervention granted July 7, 2010 | |
| IBEW Local 206 (filed July 1, 2010) – intervention granted July 7, 2010 | |
| Oregon | Integra Telecom (June 7, 2010) – granted June 22, 2010 |
| Intervention | XO Communications (June 7, 2010) – granted June 22, 2010 |
| Closed | Level3 (June 7, 2010) – granted June 22, 2010 |
| 22-Jun-10 | Citizens’ Utility Board of OR (June 3, 2010) – granted June 22, 2010 |
| tw telecom (June 7, 2010) – granted June 22, 2010 | |
| Parker Communications (June 7, 2010) – granted June 22, 2010 | |
| Covad Communications (June 7, 2010) – granted June 22, 2010 | |
| Charter Fiberlink OR-CCVII, LLC (June 8, 2010) – granted June 12, 2010 | |
| PriorityOne Telecommunications (June 8, 2010) – granted June 12, 2010 | |
| Warm Springs Telecommunications Company (June 17, 2010) – | |
| granted June 28,2010 | |
| Sprint Nextel West (filed June 22, 2010) – granted June 28, 2010 | |
| Tracer (filed June 4, 2010) – granted June 28, 2010 | |
| T-Mobile West Corp. (filed June 29, 2010) – granted July 26, 2010 | |
| Utah | Integra Telecom (June 3, 2010) granted June 30, 2010 |
| Intervention | Covad Communications (June 3, 2010) granted June 30, 2010 |
| Closed | PAETEC )(June 3, 2010) granted June 30, 2010 |
| June 9,2010 | XO Communications (June 3, 2010) granted June 30, 2010 |
| Level 3 (June 7, 2010) granted June 30, 2010 | |
| tw telecom (June 7, 2010) granted June 30, 2010 | |
| Utah Rural Telecom Association (URTA) (filed June 30, 2010) – granted July 21, 2010 | |
| Salt Lake Community Action Program (filed July 15, 2010) – granted August 4, 2010 | |
| U.S. Department of Defense (and all other federal executive agencies) (filed July | |
| 14,2010) – granted August 4, 2010 | |
| Washington | Integra Telecom (May 20, 2010) – granted June 10, 2010 |
| State | Charter Fiberlink (May 26, 2010) – granted June 10, 2010 |
| Intervention | Covad (May 24, 2010) – granted June 10, 2010 |
| Closed | Level 3 (May 25, 2010) |
| May 28,2010 | U.S. Department of Defense (May 24, 2010) – granted June 10, 2010 |
| McLeodUSA/PAETEC (May 27, 2010) – granted June 10, 2010 | |
| Pac-West (May 26, 2010) – granted June 10, 2010 | |
| tw telecom (May 24, 2010) – granted June 10, 2010 | |
| XO Communications (May 24, 2010) – granted June 10, 2010 | |
| T-Mobile West (late-filed June 29, 2010) – Staff supported July 7, 2010 – granted July | |
1 Intervention Deadlines: Arizona – no deadline established; Colorado- July 2, 2010; Iowa – June 17, 2010; Minnesota – June 25, 2010; Montana – July 2, 2010; Oregon – June 22, 2010; Utah – June 9, 2010; Washington – May 28, 2010.
About Integra Telecom
Integra Telecom Inc. provides integrated communications services across 33 metropolitan areas in 11 Western states, including: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah and Washington. It owns and operates a best-in-class fiber-optic network comprised of more than 2,800 route miles in 11 metropolitan access networks including approximately 1,386 on-net buildings, a world class Internet and data network, and approximately 4,900-mile highspeed
long-haul fiber network. The company has earned some of the highest customer loyalty and customer satisfaction ratings in the telecommunications industry. Primary equity investors in the company include Goldman, Sachs & Co., Tennenbaum Capital Partners, funds managed by Farallon Capital Partners and Warburg Pincus. Integra Telecom and Electric Lightwave are registered trademarks of Integra Telecom, Inc. For
more information, visit: www.integratelecom.com.
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