January 24, 2002 -- Qwest Communications International Inc. (NYSE: Q) announced strong customer service improvements in 2001 in five key areas of installation and repair for residential and small-business customers across its 14 Western states. According to the company, these results mark the second consecutive year that Qwest has improved customer service and follow a report by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that found that Qwest leads the industry in service quality.

In the 14-state region where Qwest provides local service, service data for 2001 showed the best results in six years in key areas for residential and small-business customers:

-- Nearly 99 percent of the more than 22 million installation commitments in 2001 were met on time -- the best annual results in five years;

-- Nearly 95 percent of total repair commitments were met on time -- the best annual results in five years;

-- Repeat repairs within 30 days decreased by more than 18 percent from a year ago;

-- Nearly 89 percent of service outages were repaired in less than 24 hours -- an improvement of more than 10 percent over the same time a year ago -- the best annual customer service results since 1995;

-- At the end of December 2001, the number of customers who had been waiting more than 30 days for the installation of their first telephone line reached the lowest level on record.

Qwest says that recently, the FCC recognized Qwest's dramatic customer service improvements. In December 2001, the FCC issued its "Quality of Service of the Local Operating Companies" report, which indicated that Qwest was first among the major local service providers in four of the seven critical customer service categories measured by the FCC and that Qwest improved in six of the seven.

The company says that it is making significant progress toward receiving federal approval to re-enter the long-distance market. On December 21, 2001 Qwest completed a critical and comprehensive systems test in Arizona. Qwest is also nearing completion of a systems test covering 13 other local service states. Qwest expects to offer long-distance services in its 14 states by mid-2002.

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