Qwest Wants New Wireless Partner But Won't Buy Sprint Or Alltel

It's been no secret that Qwest has been on the lookout for a new wireless partner, but Qwest's CEO Edward Mueller said today buying a wireless company is not an option. In an interview with GigaOm's Om Malik, Mueller said one of the projects that has been keeping him busy since replacing Richard Notebaert in August is looking at replacing Sprint (NYSE: S) Nextel as the wireless service it resells to its customer base. Om asked Mueller if Qwest would consider buying a wireless company instead of partnering—maybe Sprint or Alltel? Mueller: "We are not looking to buy a wireless company at this time, and frankly buying Alltel (NYSE: AT) and Sprint will be a reach for us. All we want to do is partner with a national wireless player where we can rebrand and remarket their service to our customer base. We are ambivalent about the technology but we want a partner with retail presence."

In February, Mueller first said he was re-examining its partnership with Sprint Nextel, and, as Bloomberg reported, the company has since admitted to talking to both Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) and AT&T (NYSE: T).