Qwest looking at dumping Sprint; Verizon a possibility
Qwest runs its regional wireless carrier as a Sprint MVNO -- a venture that has apparently turned out to be an unprofitable one, not just because of the pricing Qwest receives on its minutes, but also because Sprint's exclusivity clauses have left the little guys feeling like they're offering an also-ran lineup (Fusion notwithstanding, we guess, since Qwest launched it eons before Verizon and Sprint still hasn't come to bat on that one). That has left Qwest looking to partner with someone else once its current contract with Sprint expires next year, and Verizon chief Ivan Seidenberg has spilled the beans that it has been in touch regarding a possible deal. Theoretically, a Verizon deal could make it easy for existing Qwest subscribers to stick with their existing handsets since they'd be switching from one set of CDMA airwaves to another, so it makes sense -- but really, with MVNOs dropping left and right and the current venture sucking money into thin air, why would it be in the black a few years from now?
[Via Phone Scoop]
