Qwest Wins $143 Million MAA Contracts for Albuquerque and Boise

By Jennifer Freer, Staff Writer

SEPT. 1 - Qwest Communications International Inc. of Denver landed the General Services Administration's Metropolitan Area Acquisition contracts for Albuquerque, N.M., and Boise, Idaho, worth a total of $143 million.

An MAA contract is GSA's local telecommunications contract program, and was awarded Sept. 1 by GSA's Federal Technology Service, which manages the contract.

On June 30, Qwest completed its merger with US West Inc., a local telecommunications company based in Denver and one of the Baby Bells. The combined Qwest creates an $85 billion communications company.

The new contracts span eight years - four base years plus four one-year options - with the MAA providing local telecommunications, voice, data and dedicated transmission services to federal government agencies in the MAA regions.

GSA said it hopes to continue to enhance competition with the MAA contracts so the federal government receives prices that are current with the marketplace, and provide services that are current with the industry as well.

The total number of MAA cities awarded is now up to 18, totaling over $3 billion. The initial MAA awards were made in May 1999 to AT&T for Chicago, New York and San Francisco. The MAA awards for New Orleans and Philadelphia are expected in the next few weeks.