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Technology Stocks : Qwest Communications (Q) (formerly QWST) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Brian Coakley who wrote (1599)	6/23/1998 11:53:00 AM
From: MangoBoy	Respond to of 6846

[Level 3 Communications Signs Right of Way Agreement With Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company] Agreement Provides Level 3 With Key Routes in up to 28 States For Its National IP-Based Fiber Optic Network OMAHA, Neb., June 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Level 3 Communications, Inc., announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Level 3 Communications, LLC, and the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF), have signed a master easement agreement. As a result, Level 3 receives rights of way access to BNSF's rail routes, in as many as 28 states, over which Level 3 will build its national Internet Protocol (IP) based network. The agreement, the terms of which were not disclosed, will allow Level 3 to construct, operate and maintain multiple conduit fiber network facilities, which will be buried along the BNSF rights of way. Level 3 expects to begin construction of its advanced fiber optic network during the third quarter of 1998. ''This agreement signifies another major step in our strategic business plan,'' said Level 3 Executive Vice President and COO Kevin O'Hara. ''This agreement with the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway, in combination with an earlier agreement with the Union Pacific Railroad, now grants us rights of way to construct more than 9,000 miles connecting as many as 26 major U.S. cities with our planned IP-based national network. The fact that this network will consist of multi-conduits means it will be easily upgradeable -- giving us a competitive advantage over other carriers with older, legacy systems.'' In an announcement last week, Level 3 said the intercity portion of its network would be constructed by Peter Kiewit Sons', Inc. and that a majority of that network will utilize railway rights of way. Level 3 Leased Access Level 3's agreements for construction of a network along the BNSF and Union Pacific rights of way follow an earlier data network agreement with Frontier Corporation to lease capacity on Frontier's 13,000 mile SONET fiber optic network. The lease arrangement gives Level 3 an IP-capable network over which it expects to begin providing service to business customers in several cities during the third quarter of 1998, while Level 3 builds its own IP-based network -- the first national communications network to use Internet technology end-to-end.

To: Brian Coakley who wrote (1599)	6/25/1998 1:06:00 PM
From: MangoBoy	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6846

Brian, i'm heavily weighted in both QWST and WCII. i bought a ton of PHX on the cheap so my QWST position ballooned quite a bit. Most of my shares date back to the day of the IPO. they're both great long-term holdings (IMO) that fit my telecom investment thesis: - bandwidth, bandwidth, bandwidth - "unique" facilities/plant (high barrier to entry for would-be competitors) - seasoned, aggressive management - proven track record of executing business plan - well positioned to eat incumbent LEC/IXCs' lunch - primo takeover candidate IMO, QWST anywhere south of 30 is a great buy. mark (standard disclaimers: greenlake.com