QWEST COMMUNICATIONS LAUNCHES CONSUMER INTERNET ACCESS, WEB BASED
SERVICES
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--January 25, 1999--
Qwest Now Reaches 95 Percent of U.S. Homes and Businesses With
Internet Network and Services
Qwest Communications International Inc. today announced its first
Internet services for consumers and small businesses. Called
Q.home(sm) Internet Service, web-based services including dial-up
access, paging, conferencing and faxing are available at Qwest's new
site - www.qwest.com.
Through a series of aggressive acquisitions and alliances in less
than six months, Qwest Communications has gained the ability to
provide Internet Protocol (IP)-based services to 95 percent of U.S.
homes and businesses. With completion of Qwest's 18,500-mile,
high-speed network on target for mid-year in 1999, Qwest is now
focused on expanding its leadership to help businesses and consumers
take advantage of the convergence of multimedia. Agreements with other
leading Internet and communications businesses will help customers
reach the Qwest network through a variety of connection options
including dedicated, broadband and dial-up access.
Qwest is changing its Internet domain to qwest.com from
qwest.net. While the .net name distinguishes Qwest among a select
group of firms with an IP-based network, the .com identifier makes it
easier to recognize the role Qwest has in Internet services.
"From the beginning, Qwest built its world class network to be
optimized for the Internet and to help drive the convergence of image,
data and voice communications," said Joseph P. Nacchio, Qwest
president and CEO. "With experts predicting 28 million households and
two million businesses will be online by the end of this year, Qwest
intends to seize the enormous market opportunity and provide
businesses and consumers with fast, reliable and secure Internet
applications and benefits."
The new consumer Internet offerings are:
- Q.home Internet Access - dial-up Internet access with nationwide
coverage. The service will be offered with the first month free
and at a flat monthly rate of $19.95. Those who also subscribe to
Qwest long distance service may receive the Internet service for
a reduced flat rate of $14.95 monthly. Rates include unlimited
Internet access, e-mail and news. A Netscape CD will be provided
for customers to load software for the Internet and Qwest
services. To order the service, customers can complete an online
order form to receive a start-up kit in the mail, or call
1-888-328-6162.
- Q.home Send-A-Page -- is a web-based paging service that allows
customers to send text or numeric pages to other subscribers of
Qwest paging service. The easy to use online service is free to
all Qwest paging customers. In order to send a page from the
site, users simply enter the Qwest customer's paging PIN, type
the desired message and hit send. Additionally, customers wishing
to order Qwest's paging service can now do so by filling out an
online order form or by calling 1-877-323-3100. Qwest paging
service is competitively priced and offers a range of pager
models and service options including text and numeric service. It
includes free voicemail and unlimited pages within the customer's
local coverage area. New customers ordering the service will
receive a half price discount on their monthly service fee for
the first two months of service.
- Q.home Click-to-Conference - allows any consumer to conduct
conference calls with a total of eight people at one time. This
service will be available beginning on February 5, 1999 and
offers customers an easy way to conduct conference calls. There
is no need to deal with operators, codes or advance scheduling. A
flat rate of 25-cents per minute for each line is charged for
domestic calls. International rates vary. Customers can call
anyone within the U.S. at any time with no additional conference
call charges, no minimums and no one-time or hidden fees.
Additional features include the ability to put anyone on the call
on hold, on mute, or disconnect any call from your browser. Also,
customers have instant access to their conference call charges
online. Qwest's technology partner in developing Qwest's
conferencing service is TimeShift,Inc.
- Q.home Click-to-Fax - is an online service that lets customers
fax information both domestically and internationally using only
a browser and an Internet connection. Sending a fax through the
fax center is as simple as sending an e-mail. A minimum monthly
cost of $2.95 covers the first 19 pages. Additional pages sent
throughout the month are only 15-cents each. Customers can be
assured that the content in their faxes will remain confidential
as they are sent over the Internet in a secure manner. Using the
fax center benefits the consumer in cost savings and convenience.
Additionally, it is easy to use because files can be attached to
the fax directly from the user's hard drive. No investment in
hardware or software is needed and documents can be sent to
multiple fax machines with a single click. Qwest's technology
partner in developing Qwest Fax Center is Technology Workshop.
Currently Qwest's comprehensive portfolio of IP-based services
include:
Business Services Consumer Services
Dedicated Internet Dial-up Internet access
Electronic commerce Click-to-page
Web hosting Click-to-conference (available 2/5/99)
Virtual private data networks Click-to-fax
Video streaming
Applications hosting
Aggressive Alliances
The strategic acquisitions and alliances during the past six
months that pose Qwest as a major new competitor in Internet services
and provide new channels to reach customers include:
- Microsoft -- Developed a relationship with Microsoft to create
advanced applications such as complex web hosting and electronic
commerce. Agreement also provides access to 88,000 distribution
points selling Microsoft products today and revenue potential of
more than $3 billion over five years.
- Covad - Invested in Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) local networks
through an agreement with Covad Communications Group, Inc. a
packet-based Competitive Local Exchange Carrier that provides DSL
communications services to Internet Service Providers (ISP) and
enterprises. By the end of 1999, Qwest plans to have access in 22
key metropolitan markets. DSL enhances Qwest's ability to provide
customers with high-speed, end-to-end connectivity to its
nationwide IP-based network and the Internet.
- Icon CMT -- Acquired Icon CMT, the tier-one provider of
end-to-end Internet solutions for businesses. Now operating as
Qwest Internet Solutions, the division is responsible for
deploying Qwest's CyberCenters, which will produce and host
web-enabling applications and IP-centric enterprise solutions.
Icon CMT is a network backbone provider for a number of leading
multinational companies in the financial services, media and
telecommunications fields including Fleet Securities, CBS,
Network Solutions and Bell Atlantic Internet Solutions (BAIS). As
a result of its global service provider agreement with BAIS, Icon
CMT services BAIS customers who have selected Icon CMT to provide
the long-distance portion of the Internet access services for
both dedicated and switched access services.
- Netscape - Established a strategic alliance to be the provider of
basic and advanced communications services at the Netscape
Netcenter site. The agreement combines Qwest's network and
services with Netscape's leading Netcenter services, browser
software and server software. The alliance is expected to provide
Netscape and Qwest with significant customer acquisition and
revenue-sharing opportunities.
- Internet2 - Working with industry partners, Cisco Systems and
Nortel Networks, Qwest donated a portion of its nationwide
network to enable the University Corporation for Advanced
Internet Development (UCAID) - a consortium of 130 top U.S.
universities - to deploy the most advanced and farthest reaching
research network in the world - Internet2's Abilene backbone
network. The Abilene network provides a "private Internet" for
the brightest minds in academia, education and corporate entities
to imagine, create and test the applications of the future. Qwest
is also the backbone provider for regional Internet2 networks,
such as California's CalREN2 network and the Midwest's Great
Plains Network. |
