CenturyLink South Dakota

QWEST LAUNCHES IMPROVED HIGH-SPEED NETWORK SERVICES IN SIOUX FALLS

CenturyLink Metro Optical Ethernet Offers Businesses Scalable, Secure Service for Transporting Large-Bandwidth Data

SIOUX FALLS, S.D., June 2, 2008 –CenturyLink Communications International Inc. (NYSE: Q) today announced a new service to help Sioux Falls businesses send and receive large-bandwidth and time-sensitive data across multiple locations.

CenturyLink Metro Optical Ethernet (QMOE) service combines the power of Ethernet and optical technologies across metropolitan area networks to provide scalable, secure bandwidth at a low relative cost. With QMOE, businesses of all sizes can be assured of a faster, easier communications option, with the ability to purchase only the bandwidth they need and the opportunity to connect multiple locations. Businesses can take advantage of more than 20 network speeds ranging from 5Mbps to 1 Gigabit per second, as well as an optical Ethernet transport system for an efficient and flexible high-bandwidth communications solution.

“Today’s small- and medium-sized businesses have a critical need to transport huge amounts of data safely and securely between locations,” said Ken Smith, vice president, CenturyLink Business Markets Group. “CenturyLink Metro Optical Ethernet fulfills those important business objectives and more, with some of the fastest speeds available, as well as flexible options that can grow with businesses as they expand.”

QMOE provides local area network (LAN)-to-LAN connectivity between two or more customer locations within a metro area, and is especially designed to meet the needs of school districts, healthcare providers and financial institutions. The service is suitable for applications that include data file transfer, Internet access, off-site data storage and access to hosting, outsourced mail and file server service, and outsourced application service, all over a secure network. The service is also well suited to voice and video applications.

And unlike some offerings, QMOE is a true, native, Layer 2 Ethernet network in which one port can support multiple Ethernet virtual connections (EVCs). For example, a customer can use one port to accommodate both its internal data and Internet traffic, which results in savings for the customer. With the service, CenturyLink is delivering on its strategy to expand broadband to customers at home, at work and on the go.

In addition to Sioux Falls, QMOE is available in 32 national markets and is backed by Qwest’s Quality of Service (QoS) commitment that gives customers assurance of application, integrity and performance in their networks.