Since Qwest is the only one, who held out to **

I looked into changing to them when I move, and guess what. They are a lot cheaper than AT&T, so what am I missing? Anyone use them? Is there something wrong with the service? or anything I should know?

If one could get them to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

That would be a hot selling point for any telecom right now, boy howdy!

I've never liked their service, but I can't remember any specifics.

I'm actually having second thoughts. The USA Today story said Qwest held out, but I'm becoming skeptical. Qwest is a pretty seedy company. I wonder if they just didn't have evidence of Qwest caving yet.

to turn its records over to the NSA because their lawyers didn't think it was legal to do it. They asked the NSA to go to the FISA court first, and NSA refused; then they asked NSA to get an attorney general opnion and NSA wouldn't do that, either. So Qwest wouldn't cough up its records, even though NSA allegedly threatened that they wouldn't get any government contracts. I say, bravo to Qwest.

Sounds like a good marketing ploy.

They aren't unusually horrible, just another one of those big companies where you have to go through a long automated menu to get ahold of a human. I can't say I've ever had any serious problems with them, though.

I will say that as of today I like them a lot more.

Qwest
800-244-1111
Say "representative" a total of five times, once after each prompt, or press # four times.
1.5 minutes on average to get a human.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/business/links/printdiahumanchart28.html

:hi:

What heroes!!!

The blockbuster hasn't even begun yet. Wait until they're before Congress and put on record the NSA told them they wouldn't go to FISA after Qwest asked them because "FISA may not agree."

Whoooeeeee.

Anyone know if they have plans to do so? I'm in IL; they're in IA & MN, but hopefully will push just a little further east...

On edit: I'd change to them right this minute if they only offered service in IL...

their long-distance is everywhere. It will cost $20.00 per month unlimited and includes local toll-calls. My business phones will be 5 cents a minute plus five dollars a month access for four lines. They don't have local service here yet so I did what I could and cancelled MCI long-distance, the sell-out snitches.

Although I'm not real happy with them. They were/are one of several telecom companies that have been fighting to change state law here in Iowa to make it nearly impossible for cities to create their own municipal telecom utilities. The purpose of which was obviously to limit competition and consumer choice.

So while I'm glad they didn't give in to the NSA, at they end of the day they're still your basic giant greedy corporation.

are ringing non stop with people switching and disgusted by AT% T and the others.

California doesn't get Quest for DSL. They can do the long distance, And Sunday I just renewed my Cingular cell phone contract. I thing Cing. is basically AT&T

I hopped on board the Quest train since they first started. No problems so far (and because I am one of the originals I pay a very very low rate, they almost pay me to use their service).

They're very deep in debt, because of Joe Nacchio, who stole a lot of money in the late 90s and early 2000s. He's about to go on trial for fraud (sort of a Worldcom/Enron scandal). But otherwise they're no different than what they used to be calld...Mountain Bell.

You have to live in Minnesota through Washington, Arizona, Oregon, Colorado. etc. to get them, but they also have a cell service that is union (something Verizon doesn't have and succesfully busted...for now). I don't know what their cell reach is though. A friend of mine could use it in D.C., so that's helpful.

in CALEA, Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement? As I understand it, approximately three years ago, all telecommunications had to go with CALEA. If a telecommunications company stated they wouldn't give information without a subpeona, the Feds don't need one--it's a straight shot--another words, the information is out of the hands of the company. Google CALEA. It's interesting that parts of our government are more concerned about spying on us--how can they spy on terrorists, if the terrorists are using pre-paid cell phones? You can imagine if partisan entities can tap into conversations of political rivals--Democrats, Libertarians, Green Party. My, my-didn't Nixon step down because of spying on the opposition party? Breaking in and attempting to find "dirt" on a political opponent? It will be so much easier now, since the whole government is turning into lockstepping partisan loyalists--they have access to all of their opponent's conversations. Can people see the abuse in this? It's not about average people's family squabbles--it's about spying on your opponents.

This is the first I've heard of CALEA. I do know that the FCC regulatory commission forces phone companies to comply with law enforcement and intelligence, but warrants must be presented.

All I know about Qwest is that they're deep in debt, laid off thousands of unionized workers, had a CEO who stole $100 million, that it used to be called Mountain Bell, and their my phone company. Other than that, I have no idea.

that is installed in the central office (not for sure location)--an agency I believe can directly access without permission from the telephone company, so how would a phone company know to see a warrant? It was a federal requirement over three years ago. Google, CALEA. Yes, and Qwest, in my estimation, has a lot of baggage--for them to say they're the only ones to refuse the government, seems bogus, if the government can access information without their permission and maybe, knowledge.