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Thursday August 21 8:02 AM EDT
Company Press Release
Qwest Communications to Extend Its Fiber Optic Network
to 14 Major Cities in Mexico
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 21, 1997--Qwest Communications International Inc.(NASDAQ:QWST) today announced that it will extend its new high capacity fiber network to 14 major cities in Mexico.
In an agreement with Bestel, S.A. de C.V., Bestel will acquire Qwest's Mexican subsidiary, SP Servicios, which owns conduit, railroad rights of way and other assets in Mexico. In return, Qwest will receive four dark fibers in a network Bestel is constructing parallel to Mexico's railway system.
Qwest will connect the 13,000-mile fiber optic network it is building in the U.S. to the new Mexican network at Nuevo Laredo, across the border from Laredo, TX, extending service to 14 Mexican cities including Monterrey, Guadalajara, Mexico City, San Luis Potosi, Saltillo, Puebla and Cuernavaca. This will increase the scope of the Qwest network to 14,400 route miles.
When completed in September, 1998, the 2,270-kilometer network will have the ability to offer service to 80 percent of Mexico's population.
``We're delighted to be able to extend our network capabilities to Mexico,'' said Joseph P. Nacchio,Qwest's president and chief executive officer.
``Mexico has an enlightened, pro-competitive telecommunications policy that encourages the use of high technology infrastructure, to bring the latest telecommunications, Internet and electronic commerce services to more of its population. We believe this policy will foster growth and our agreement will enable us to participate in that growth. We look forward to bringing to our customers both in Mexico and the United States the benefits of the Qwest network.''
Qwest has reviewed the network construction techniques Bestel is using, and is impressed with the high quality, state of the art construction and the progress being made. Bestel is building the only
network in Mexico that utilizes railroad rights of way and thus enjoys an inherent security and reliability advantage over networks using other construction techniques.
Qwest and Bestel intend to pursue other opportunities to work together in their respective countries.
Qwest Communications is a rapidly-growing communication services company building a high-capacity, fiber optic technology network for the 21st century. Its 13,000 mile, US network connecting 92 cities will be complete at the end of 1998. Through its cutting-edge technology, Qwest will deliver high-quality voice, data and video connectivity securely and reliably to businesses, consumers and other communications service providers.
Further information on Qwest (NASDAQ:QWST) is available on the company's Web site located at qwest.net .
Bestel is a joint venture between GST Mextel, which is owned by GST Global Telecommunications, Inc. (VSE:GGB) and Odetel, a company owned by Grupo Varo, and was created to develop and implement a Mexican facilities-based long-distance telecommunications company. Bestel will bring competitive telecommunications services to Mexico by targeting business and residential customers, and providing connectivity throughout its geographic reach.
Contact:
Qwest Communications International Inc.
Tony Brodman, 303/291-1470 (Media Contact)
tbrodman@qwest.net
Lee Wolfe, 800/567-7296 (Investor Contact)
lwolfe@qwest.net |
