Qwest
Qwest Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lumen Technologies operating residential and business internet, voice, and TV services across the United States under the CenturyLink brand over a legacy wireline and fiber network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersDenver, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Qwest does
Qwest Corporation is a Delaware-domiciled, wholly-owned subsidiary of Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) that historically operated as a major U.S. wireline and broadband carrier and now serves residential and business customers under the CenturyLink brand. The company delivers internet, voice, and TV services over a legacy wireline and fiber network, with residential offerings including Simply Unlimited Internet (up to 140 Mbps), Fiber Internet (up to 940 Mbps with symmetric speeds), landline and VoIP phone services, and partner-delivered TV through DISH, DIRECTV, and Sling TV. Business customers are served through MTU Business Fiber, MTU Fiber+, Dedicated Internet Access, static IP, and VoIP products, with bundled add-ons such as Premium WiFi, Secure WiFi, and Business Solution Pack.
Qwest's revenue model is anchored in monthly recurring residential and business subscriptions priced at $55–$75/mo for internet tiers, plus equipment leases (up to $17/mo) and ancillary services such as Cyber Shield (Aura partnership) and Personal Tech Pro (Assurant partnership). Services are offered month-to-month with no annual contracts, supported by paperless billing incentives and a Refer & Earn program. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the CenturyLink web portal with ZIP-code-based service qualification, complemented by 24/7 chat and phone support.
Operationally, Qwest is in a debt-restructuring posture: in April–May 2026, it launched exchange offers on approximately $1.64 billion in aggregate principal of 6.5% Notes due 2056 and 6.75% Notes due 2057, secured a noteholder support agreement, and announced the delisting and deregistration of its Old Qwest Notes from the NYSE. These moves, executed under the Lumen Technologies parent, signal balance-sheet simplification rather than growth investment.
Qwest firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Qwest
- Legal name
- Qwest Corporation
- Website
- https://qwest.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Qwest Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lumen Technologies operating residential and business internet, voice, and TV services across the United States under the CenturyLink brand over a legacy wireline and fiber network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Qwest industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Telecommunications Services
- NAICS
- Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)
- SIC
- Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers) (HDAIADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers (HDAIABAC), Fiber-to-the-Premises/Building (FTTP/FTTB) Operators (HDAIACAC)
Keywords
Where Qwest is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Denver
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Qwest business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Qwest product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Qwest, operating commercially as CenturyLink, sells residential and business telecommunications services across the United States. The portfolio includes Simply Unlimited Internet (up to 140 Mbps), Fiber Internet (up to 940 Mbps), landline/VoIP phone services, MTU Business Fiber, Dedicated Internet Access, and partner-branded TV offerings from DISH, DIRECTV, and Sling TV. Services are sold on a month-to-month basis without annual contracts.
Product overview
Qwest (now operating under the CenturyLink brand as a subsidiary of Lumen Technologies) offers a comprehensive telecommunications portfolio of internet, phone, and TV services for residential and business customers. The product suite includes Simply Unlimited Internet with various speed tiers (up to 140 Mbps), Fiber Internet with speeds up to 940 Mbps, landline phone services (Simply Unlimited Phone), and VoIP solutions (Connected Voice). Business services include MTU Business Fiber Internet, Dedicated Internet Access, Static IP, and Business Solution Pack. TV services are delivered through strategic partnerships with DISH, DIRECTV, Sling TV, and streaming providers. The portfolio also includes add-on services like Premium WiFi, Secure WiFi, Cyber Shield security protection, and the Refer & Earn customer referral program. Services operate on a month-to-month basis with no annual contract requirements, supported by 24/7 customer assistance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Simply Unlimited Internet
- Fiber Internet Residential fiber-optic internet service offering speeds up to 940 Mbps with symmetric upload/download speeds, free installation, and WiFi equipment included in select locations; sold to U.S. households within the fiber footprint.
- Simply Unlimited Phone Residential landline phone service with unlimited nationwide calling including Alaska, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, available as a standalone service or bundled with internet.
- Connected Voice (VoIP) Business VoIP phone service with unlimited local and long-distance calling plus international minute buckets to Canada, Mexico, the UK, Ireland, and Germany; available in Basic and Professional tiers.
- Small Business Digital Phone Business phone service requiring an internet connection, with features including Caller ID, Hold, Call Waiting, 3-way calling, Voicemail, and text messaging options.
- MTU Business Fiber Internet Fiber internet service designed for medium to large business customers, providing dedicated bandwidth and service level agreements for consistent performance.
- MTU Fiber+ Business fiber internet service with enhanced features and support targeted at medium to large enterprise customers.
- MTU Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) Lumen Dedicated internet access service for business customers requiring guaranteed bandwidth and consistent performance.
Companies that use Qwest
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles2 records
Qwest technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Qwest partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Qwest competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- AT&T: Major incumbent wireline and wireless carrier offering fiber broadband (AT&T Fiber) plus mobile and pay-TV nationwide. Direct overlap with Qwest/CenturyLink's fiber and voice portfolio, with much greater national scale and mobile bundling capability.
- Comcast Xfinity: Largest U.S. cable broadband and pay-TV provider, offering gigabit cable and bundles with mobile and streaming. Competes directly with CenturyLink for residential broadband subscribers in overlapping markets, with deep Xumo/streaming integration.
- Verizon: Incumbent telecom with Fios fiber-to-the-home broadband, fixed wireless access, and mobile services. Competes head-to-head in fiber markets and increasingly with 5G FWA in geographies that overlap Qwest's footprint.
- Charter Spectrum: Major U.S. cable broadband operator with Spectrum One bundles combining internet, mobile, and TV. Direct competition for Qwest's residential broadband and bundle business across many of the same geographies.
Emerging players
- T-Mobile Home Internet: 5G fixed wireless access home broadband leveraging T-Mobile's mobile network. Increasingly relevant competitive threat to Qwest's copper and lower-speed fiber tiers, especially outside dense urban footprints.
- Google Fiber: Pure-fiber ISP offering gigabit and multi-gig residential internet in select cities. Represents a high-end fiber competitor and a long-term pricing/expectation benchmark in markets where it overlaps with Qwest.
Direct peers
- Frontier Communications: Pure-play fiber and wireline telecom operator with a very similar FTTH-led, copper-overlay footprint and product mix. One of the closest functional peers to Qwest/CenturyLink in both network architecture and target customer.
- TDS Telecom: Regional ILEC actively expanding fiber-to-the-home in smaller markets with a comparable mix of fiber buildout and legacy copper services. Competes for many of the same residential and SMB customers as CenturyLink.
- Windstream (Kinetic): Regional fiber and wireline telecom operator focused on residential and SMB broadband over a similar mix of fiber and copper. Directly comparable in network strategy, product portfolio, and customer segmentation.
Others
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Qwest social profiles
Digital presenceQwest financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Qwest leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Qwest funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Qwest M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments3 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Qwest
What does Qwest do?
Qwest, operating commercially as CenturyLink, sells residential and business telecommunications services across the United States. The portfolio includes Simply Unlimited Internet (up to 140 Mbps), Fiber Internet (up to 940 Mbps), landline/VoIP phone services, MTU Business Fiber, Dedicated Internet Access, and partner-branded TV offerings from DISH, DIRECTV, and Sling TV. Services are sold on a month-to-month basis without annual contracts.
Is Qwest a public or private company?
Qwest is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Qwest founded?
Qwest was founded in 1996. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Qwest based?
Qwest is headquartered in Denver, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Qwest's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are AT&T, Comcast Xfinity, Verizon and Charter Spectrum. Emerging players are T-Mobile Home Internet and Google Fiber. Direct peers are Frontier Communications, TDS Telecom and Windstream (Kinetic). Cox Communications is listed as an others.
Does Qwest have an API?
No public API is recorded for Qwest.
What industry is Qwest in?
Qwest's product category is Telecommunications Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIADAE, Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers), with a secondary code of HDAIABAC, Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers. Its NAICS code is 517111 and its SIC code is 4841.