Qwest gets railroad deal

Qwest Communications International Inc. will provide a network that will carry a suite of digital services to nearly 60 offices nationwide for the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board.

The board awarded Qwest a $3.5 million task order under the Networx Universal contract for the work. The company will replace the agency's frame relay network with a Multiprotocol Label Switching system, one of the advanced technologies that the Networx contract offers.

The board will use the network for a variety of services, including a contact center that will process claims for retired railroad personnel. The Railroad Retirement Board, an independent federal agency, administers retirement and unemployment programs for railroad workers and their families, under the Railroad Retirement and Railroad Unemployment Insurance Acts.

The task order spans three years, and is the first deal Denver-based Qwest has signed under the Networx program, according to the company.