BEHIND THE NAME
Qwest Communications International, Inc. was formed in 1988 as Southern Pacific Telecommunications Co. It became Qwest in 1995. Qwest had 3 million broadband subscribers as of the third quarter 2009.

Lobbying expenditures for Qwest and companies it acquired during the decade total at least $38.3 million.

Sources: Leichtman Research Group, Inc. (broadband subscribers); lobbying disclosure forms with the Senate Office of Public Records (lobbying data).

Graphic research by Mia Steinle, Investigative Reporting Workshop