Qwest to Try to Sway FCC Review of SBC-AT&T Merger

Just for fun, Qwest Communications International Inc. yesterday raised questions about the pending merger of two major rivals, accusing SBC Communications Inc. of anti-competitive practices as the government considers SBC's purchase of AT&T Corp. Denver-based Qwest said SBC was making it harder for competitors to serve lucrative medium to large companies and was limiting the ability of rivals to lease SBC lines at cheaper government-regulated rates. It also said SBC appeared to be pressuring smaller phone companies not to merge with unspecified "blacklisted" rivals. Qwest is trying to influence the FCC as the agency weighs both the SBC-AT&T merger and Verizon Communications Inc.'s planned $8.46 billion purchase of MCI Inc. Qwest was rebuffed in its own effort to buy Ashburn-based MCI this year, and the two mergers leave Qwest -- the fourth-largest U.S. telephone company -- at a competitive disadvantage to the remaining regional telephone giants.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Arshad Mohammed]
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