Qwest says it could sell Iowa phone lines

Officials for the Denver-based company that recently bought U-S West are scrambling today to respond to a published report indicating its Iowa phone lines may be for sale. In a meeting last week, a Qwest executive reportedly said “Iowa’s a great place,” but he “could live without it if we lost the whole damn place.” Qwest Communications V-P Steve Davis says the quote’s accurate because Qwest wants to sell a couple of million lines in “low-growth” areas, but that doesn’t mean a sale of Iowa lines is sewn up. He says the sale would have to come under the right terms and circumstances.Davis says Qwest believes it soon will get regulatory approval to offer long-distance service in Iowa. Davis says he doesn’t know whether there are discussions underway to sell Qwest-owned lines in Iowa or any other state.