The Nebraska Public Service Commission unanimously yesterday approved the proposed CenturyLink-Qwest transaction, leaving the telecompetitors five states and the approval of the FCC to clear all regulatory hurdles. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved the merger on Dec. 16.
The companies agreed to invest a minimum of $10 million in broadband infrastructure in Nebraska over five years as part of the approval process. The combined company will have more than 200,000 access lines in the state, and 6.6 million overall, if the merger closes.
“We are pleased the PSC has voted in favor of our merger with CenturyLink,” said Rex Fisher, Qwest Nebraska president. “By combining operations, CenturyLink and Qwest are creating a larger and stronger company to provide customers in Nebraska with a more diverse mix of product offerings for a broader range of communications solutions.”
