Qwest Merges Into CenturyLink Inc. [AUDIO]

A Qwest Communications and CenturyLink Inc. merger creates the third largest telecommunications company in the country.

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Moving forward as CenturyLink Inc., Vice President for Wyoming and Montana, Jeremy Ferkin, says he sees the merger with Qwest as helping Wyoming to become more business friendly with faster broadband speeds and what he describes as distance insensitivity.

"If we provide the right services and the right products and provide that local communication with our customers then people can relocate businesses people can to do things here that they could do anywhere else in the world."

The new CenturyLink, Ferkin says, offers the full suite of broadband communication services from voice to video, plus wireless and managed services to business and government. Ferkin says the 22 billion dollar merger of the two companies means combined infrastructure that ensures redundancy for customers.

And, he says, residential users will be able to continue to bundle their billing with Verizon.

"Century Link, just about 60 days ago, announced that we would be partnering with Verizon to do the very same thing. Both companies were going down that  same path and Qwest was just a little bit ahead of us in having that partnership with Verizon."

Ferkin says he's been traveling the state meeting with Wyoming front line employees and he says he does not anticipate any jobs cut or any business shrinkage but rather he expects continued growth.