The merging companies

Qwest Communications International Inc.

CEO: Edward Mueller

Headquarters: Denver

Employees: 30,138

2009 earnings: Profit of $662 million, or 38 cents per share, on sales of $12.3 billion

Telephone lines in service: 10.3 million as of Dec. 31

Founded: Founded by billionaire Philip Anschutz, Qwest began in 1991 as Southern Pacific Telecom, a provider of long-distance phone services. SP Telecom changed its name to Qwest four years later and went public in 1997. Qwest acquired former Baby Bell US West in 2000.

States served: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

CenturyTel Inc.

CEO: Glen Post III

Headquarters: Monroe, La.

Employees: About 20,000

2009 earnings: Profit of $647.2 million, or $3.23 per share, on sales of $4.97 billion

Telephone lines in service: 7.04 million as of Dec. 31

Founded: The company traces its roots to 1930, when William Clarke and Marie Williams spent $500 to buy Louisiana’s Oak Ridge Telephone Co.

States served: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming