CenturyLink reaches agreement with Cox over Qwest acquisition

CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) cleared yet another competitive provider hurdle today as Cox Communications dropped its opposition to its pending acquisition of Qwest (NYSE: Q).

Similar to the agreement it made with competitive carrier Integra, Cox said that CenturyLink resolved issues it had "raised about the companies' pending merger in Arizona and Nebraska."

Cox Communications, a major interconnection customer of Qwest, now acknowledges that CenturyLink's pending acquisition of Qwest "is in the public interest" and that state regulators should approve the deal.

Although CenturyLink has gained the approval of 12 state public utility commissions in addition to federal government approvals in Arizona, Colorado and Utah, it still requires nine other states to sign off on the deal in addition to the Department of Justice and the FCC.

For more:
- see the release
- Reuters also has this article
- FierceCable also gives its take

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