The CenturyLink Qwest merger has some formidable hurdles to overcome before it gets approved. Nine states covering 50% of access lines have yet to approve the merger.
Those states are mostly Qwest states, including Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Public Service Commissions in these states are likely to take a thoughtful approach to their review of the transaction in order to assure that the possible risks of the merger, including disruption to service and downgrade in service quality, do not harm the public.