In an apparent response to a souring economy and strong triple play competition from cable operators in some markets, Qwest appears to be bringing back some promotional DSL tiers for new customers. According to the telco, they're once again offering their 1.5Mbps Qwest Connect Silver High-Speed DSL service for $14.99 a month for a year -- after which users will pay $39.99 a month. The telco is also offering their 7Mbps Connect Platinum DSL tier for $24.99 a month for a year -- after which users pay regularly priced at $49.99 a month.

Both of those deals require that the customer sign up for Qwest landline service, which may damper enthusiasm for some. The telco is also trying to nudge customers upward to their faster Platinum, Titanium or Quantum tiers (the latter two being 12 & 20Mbps FTTN service). According to Qwest, they're offering users who upgrade to any of these tiers two free months of service -- provided they sign a two-year long term contract.

Qwest's third quarter earnings indicated the company added 61,000 high-speed Internet customers last quarter -- 40,000 of them FTTN. That's compared to the 30,000 broadband customers they added in Q2. In total, the nation's twenty largest ISPs added 1.3 million new customers last quarter, cable operators adding 870,000, or 67% of them. In addition to economic concerns, that's forcing telcos (including Verizon) to adjust their bundles and promotions.

With no wireless division to buoy earnings, Qwest might get hit a little harder than AT&T and Verizon, the baby bell recently announcing that they will need to cut about 1,200 jobs, or about 3% of their work force this quarter.