Verizon Communications issued a public statement arguing that the possible combination of Qwest and MCI is not in the public interest.
Tom Tauke, Executive Vice President of Verizon, said a Qwest acquisition of MCI “could result in less investment in MCI’s networks and Internet backbone, and harm national security-related customers and the long-term interests of large businesses, government agencies, consumers and shareholders.” Tauke noted that Verizon has estimated it will invest approximately $3 billion, primarily in MCI’s Internet backbone, network and systems. Tauke argues that cash-strapped Qwest could decide to channel Internet traffic onto its own network and potentially remove a backbone competitor.
http://www.verizon.com
