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 NEWS  News  media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  TTY  202  /  418-  2555  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974). 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT: 
 June  26,  2000  Mike  Balmoris  at  (202)  418-  0253 
 Email:  mbalmori@  fcc.  gov 


 FEDERAL  COMMUNICATIONS  COMMISSION  ISSUES  FINAL  APPROVAL  OF 
 QWEST-  U  S  WEST  MERGER 


 Divestiture  of  Qwest’s  Prohibited  Long  Distance  Businesses 
 to  Touch  America,  Inc.  is  Approved 


 Washington,  D.  C.  –  Today,  the  Federal  Communications  Commission  (FCC)  ruled  that 
 Qwest’s  proposed  divestiture  of  its  long  distance  services,  customers  and  assets  in  the  U  S 
 WEST  Region  to  Touch  America,  Inc.  is  consistent  with  the  Communications  Act.  On  March 
 10,  2000,  the  FCC  approved  the  proposed  merger  of  Qwest  and  U  S  WEST,  subject  to  the 
 Commission’s  determination  that  Qwest’s  divestiture  of  its  long  distance  services  in  U  S 
 WEST’s  region  complies  with  Section  271  of  the  Act.  Section  271  prohibits  a  Bell  Operating 
 Company  from  providing  long  distance  services  within  its  region  until  it  has  fulfilled  its  legal 
 requirement  to  open  its  local  telecommunicat  ions  markets  to  compet  ition. 


 In  today’s  action,  the  Commission  determined  that  Qwest’s  divestiture  of  its  interLATA, 
 or  long  distance,  in-  region  services,  customers  and  assets  in  the  14-  state  U  S  WEST  region  is 
 consistent  with  the  requirements  of  section  271.  The  Commission  will  also  permit  Qwest  to 
 provide  Touch  America  with  temporary  support  services  to  ensure  that  the  transferred  customers 
 can  be  successfully  incorporated  into  Touch  America’s  business  operations. 


 The  long  distance  services  and  assets  that  will  be  sold  to  Touch  America  include 
 switched  long  distance  services  that  Qwest  provides  to  customers  in  U  S  WEST’s  region,  toll-free 
 (800,  888  and  877)  services  that  terminate  in  U  S  WEST’s  region,  and  calling  card  calls  and 
 prepaid  card  calls  originating  in  U  S  WEST’s  region. 


 Action  by  the  Commission  June  26,  2000  by  Memorandum  Opinion  and  Order  (FCC  00- 
 231).  Chairman  Kennard,  Commissioners  Ness,  Furchtgott-  Roth,  Powell  and  Tristani. 


 CC  Docket  No.  99-  272 
 -FCC-Common 
 Carrier  Bureau  contact:  Henry  Thaggert  at  202-  418-  7941 
 News  about  the  Federal  Communications  Commission  can  also  be  found 
 on  the  Commission’s  web  site  www.  fcc.  gov. 
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