US West (phone company)
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For current information on this topic, see Qwest.
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U S West Communications was a regional Bell operating company, one of seven "baby Bells" that were spawned by the antitrust breakup of AT&T in 1983. It provided telephone and data service to several Pacific Northwest and mountain states. It was acquired by Qwest Communications International on June 31, 2000. Prior to the merger, U S West was traded publicly under ticker symbol "USW." The company headquarters was located in Denver, Colorado.
Until 1990, U S West Communications Group was a holding company with three subsidiary Regional Bell operators: Mountain Bell (based in Denver, Colorado), Northwestern Bell (based in Minneapolis, Minnesota) and Pacific Northwest Bell (based in Seattle, Washington). On Jan. 1, 1991, U S West consolidated these three companies into one entity, called U S West Communications.
U S West served most parts of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming (formerly Mountain Bell area); Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota (formerly Northwestern Bell area); and Idaho, Oregon and Washington (formerly Pacific Northwest Bell area).
U S West had a reputation for poor service, and earned the derisive nickname "U S Worst" from customers.
After the merger, the combined company was renamed Qwest Corporation.