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Quest Seeks to Enter Long-Distance Market in 14 States
DENVER (SLFP.com) Nov 18, 2001 - Qwest Communications International Inc., the broadband communications company, claims that its wholesale service quality is comparable or better on key performance measures as SBC Communications, whose long-distance applications for Missouri and Arkansas were approved Friday by the Federal Communications Commission.

"When you look at similar standards, Qwest is meeting one key metric after another," said Steve Davis, Qwest senior vice president of policy and law. "Our overall level of performance is already as good or better in our 14-state region where we provide local service than SBC's successful filings. This analysis, along with Qwest's progress in completing more than 80 percent of the operation support system (OSS) testing, shows that we're close to successfully re-entering the long-distance business in our region."

Before companies like Qwest and SBC are allowed to enter the long-distance business they must demonstrate consistently high scores on specific wholesale performance measures. The FCC then evaluates and approves submitted applications. The measures demonstrate that Qwest is providing non-discriminatory service to competitors as required by the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

More than 93 percent of the wholesale performance indicators that Qwest measures monthly to support its re-entry into the long-distance business meet or exceed either the benchmark standards or are at parity with retail measurements. Compared to SBC's performance for example, a few of Qwest's key comparable standards include:

Qwest and SBC are both meeting their measurements for availability of gateway interfaces at a level of 99 percent or above.
Qwest and SBC are both meeting their measurements for provisioning commitments to competitive local exchange carriers at a level of 99 percent.
Qwest and SBC are meeting their measurements for trouble rate which is the percentage of all installed lines that have trouble in any given month. SBC's is less than 1.75 percent, Qwest's is less than 1.3 percent.

A study by Professor Jerry A. Hausman, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Telecommunications Economics Research Program, found that customers in Qwest's local service territory could save well over $1 billion annually in local and long-distance charges once Qwest is allowed to re-enter the long-distance market. Additionally, a report by Consumer Action, an independent consumer non-profit, found that long-distance rates are increasing everywhere except in states where the local exchange carrier, such as Qwest, has been approved to offer competitive long-distance services. The study found that rates actually decreased in these states.

Testing of Qwest's OSS is making steady progress. The Regional Oversight Committee's OSS testing process, made up of regulators from 13 states in Qwest's local service territory, is approximately 80 percent complete and is expected to conclude by mid- to late December.

When Qwest acquired U S WEST, the company had to divest itself of its long-distance operations in the 14 western states where U S WEST provided local service. Under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Qwest can re-enter the long-distance business once its application to the FCC has been approved.

President Bush to Sign the Aviation Security Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. (SLFP.com) Nov 18, 2001 - David S. Stempler, President of the Air Travelers Association, will be the representative of airline passengers when President George W. Bush signs the Aviation Security Bill into law at Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport on Monday morning, November 19, 2001.

According to Stempler, "the signing ceremony for the Aviation Security Bill will be a real confidence-builder for airline passengers. The fact that the federal government will now be in charge of airline security at the 400 commercial airports in the United States will enable consistent and competent protection for all airline passengers. Since airline security is now part of our 'War on Terrorism,' it must be fought with all of the skills and resources that only our federal government can muster."

Stempler continued, "the government has a formidable task ahead to fix our existing airline security system. Airport screeners must be converted from low-paid, private security workers, to better-paid, law enforcement, government employees. Sky marshals must be trained and deployed on every flight. Screening equipment for explosives must be built and installed throughout the country's airports to inspect the over 1.3 billion pieces of luggage that are checked annually. And computerized law enforcement systems must be put in place to ensure that terrorists and other criminals do not fly on our airlines."

Stempler concluded that "Passengers can help our airline security system during the upcoming, busy holiday period by: getting to the airport early; limiting their carry-ons, electronic devices, and other items that must be screened; not carrying anything that could be used as a weapon; and having government-issued IDs and tickets always quickly available for inspection. For the future, we support a 'Voluntary, National Travelers ID Card' which will shorten the time to verify the 'who are you?' phase of aviation security, and allow the screeners to spend more time on people whose background is unknown."

St. Louisan At 'Ground Zero' Donates Gear to History Museum

Photographs of "Ground Zero" at the World Trade Center and personal items donated to the Missouri History Museum by Dennis Grooms are on display in the lobby of the Emerson Center. Grooms, a cardiology technician at SSM Saint Mary's Health Center, who spent a week at 'Ground Zero' helping with rescue efforts. @ Bob Moore, SLFP.com

Personal firefighter gear donated by Dennis Grooms on display at the Missouri History Museum. @ Bob Moore, SLFP.com

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