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Wednesday, June 28, 2000, 12:00 a.m. Pacific

Northwest Digest

Qwest Phone-Network Glitch Kills Long-Distance Service by Seattle Times business staff and news services

SEATTLE - Qwest Communications said yesterday that a glitch in its phone networks may cause some companies to lose long-distance service.

So far, only one company, Seattle-based TellThemNow.com, has been known to be affected, said Matt Barkett, a Qwest spokesman.

The problem stemmed from Qwest's recent acquisition of Denver-based US West. Under a deal with the Federal Communications Commission, Qwest, the nation's fourth-largest long-distance carrier with 4 million customers, agreed to sell its long-distance business in US West's 14-state territory to TouchAmerica, a subsidiary of Montana Power.

The outage occurred when Qwest was transferring control of its networks to TouchAmerica, said Barkett. He said other companies may be affected but declined to be more specific.

Wiley Brooks, president of TellThemNow.com, an Internet company that facilitates public feedback to organizations, companies and charities, said he had been without long-distance service since Monday morning. His employees, he said, had been working entirely by cell phone.

Service to the company was restored yesterday afternoon.

http://www.seattletimes.com/news/business/html98/bdig28_20000628.html

-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), June 28, 2000