Qwest Communications finds out today whether it gets a piece of the biggest telecom deal ever.

The General Services Administration this morning will announce the winners of its government contract, known as Networx Universal, worth as much as $48 billion over its 10-year span.

Qwest is in the running along with AT&T, Sprint and Verizon for a contract to provide voice, wireless and Internet services to nearly all federal agencies.

Analysts consider the Denver-based telco to be the dark horse candidate of the four contenders. AT&T is the largest domestic telecom carrier and sole owner of wireless provider Cingular, while Sprint and Verizon provide telecom services under the existing government contract, noted David Barden, an analyst at Bank of America, in a report issued this month.

"A substantial win could be a game changer for Qwest," Barden wrote, "but we don't see a high likelihood in this."

For the winner, a long-term government contract could help offset subscriber losses in the long-distance and consumer markets, which are under pressure from cable competitors and wireless providers.

It's possible that at least two companies, or even all four, will be selected. Winning the contract doesn't mean the companies share the multibillion-dollar prize. The winners must compete for business from individual agencies.

The announcement also is only half of the Networx deal. In May, the GSA will award the Networx Enterprise contract, which involves next-generation Internet and wireless services. Qwest also is in the running for that, as is a larger pool of competitors that includes Broomfield-based Level 3 Communications.

Hundreds of Qwest employees worked on the Networx proposal over the past three years. Its team includes Akamai Technologies, Bearing Point and SAIC.

Claire Mylott, a spokeswoman for Qwest, said they're eagerly awaiting word from the GSA's news conference.

"We feel like we've put forth a comprehensive and valuable proposal," she said.

Qwest

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