Qwest plans fiber ring expansion

Amid its fourth-quarter earnings report, Qwest Communications said--a bit tentatively--that it plans to build six fiber optic rings in markets outside of its traditional 14-state local service region. The company said it saw business services revenue grow during the last quarter and wants to do more to capitalize on that growth. However, Qwest COO Tom Richards said the company remains cautious about a trend toward slower decision-making by some businesses to start the year, and could pull back if market indicators darken further.

Business services continue to be seen as somewhat of a sanctuary from the declining residential wireline voice business, though several carriers addressing business markets sounded tones of caution in their most recent earnings reports.

For more:
- Telephony has this story

Related articles
Qwest's fourth quarter dropped, but beat estimates
Qwest cut jobs after its third quarter earnings report