Washington, D.C., October 25, 2010 – Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) has joined the chorus of congressional voices urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to safeguard the interests of consumers and small businesses in CenturyLink’s proposed acquisition of Qwest, Integra Telecom announced today.
Dorgan, a member of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, and a leading voice for rural telecom customers, sent an October 21 letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski calling on the Commission to “consider enforceable commitments that safeguard all consumers” as it reviews the CenturyLink-Qwest transaction.
“Unlike Qwest, CenturyLink has never managed the complex technical challenges required for competing carriers to interconnect with a regional bell company network,” Dorgan wrote. “Without specific considerations set forth the by the FCC, the merged company might not have the technical and operational expertise to maintain or improve the quality of service currently enjoyed by my constituents.”
Dorgan’s letter also expressed concern that the CenturyLink-Qwest merger might disrupt the “core communications infrastructure” in the western states. “I am concerned about the merger’s potential impact on my constituents’ continued access to competitive alternatives for telecommunications services,” he wrote.
Together with other telecom companies, consumer advocates, the Department of Defense and many businesses in Qwest’s service territory, Portland-based Integra Telecom has also asked the FCC and state utility commissions to take a hard look at the CenturyLink-Qwest merger.
“Integra applauds Senator Dorgan for exhibiting such strong leadership on behalf of telecom customers in North Dakota and throughout the West,” said Integra general counsel Jeff Oxley.
Dorgan has now joined a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators and Representatives in expressing reservations about the CenturyLink-Qwest merger to the FCC. For additional background information: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ72VhzliBs.
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 high-speed 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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