Since they lack a wireless division and their next-generation broadband upgrade plans are somewhat yawn-inducing, Qwest doesn't get much attention from the gossip hens on Wall Street or the tech media. In an effort to remedy this, Qwest CEO Ed Mueller this week is meeting with analysts to try and get somebody, somewhere excited about what the smallest of the baby bells is up to.

Qwest's frequently delayed next-gen broadband plan (leaked to us first last Summer) is to spend $300 million to deliver 20Mbps VDSL to about 1.5 million customers over the next two years. Compare that to the $6.5 billion AT&T is spending on U-Verse and the $23 billion Verizon is spending on FiOS. The company is also testing line-bonded VDSL at speeds of 38Mbps, but they've repeatedly stated they aren't interested in being a video provider.

Qwest hopes to see a FTTN/VDSL penetration rate of 40% by 2010, with upgrades costing the company around $175 per home. In today's meeting in Manhattan, Mueller said the company already "passes" (not necessarily serves) 1.5 million customers with FTTH. Mueller told analysts that the broadband take-rate jumped 21 to 60 percent in a Colorado trial market where Qwest installed fiber to the home, which should tell them something.

Much of what Mueller told attendees was not new, including fresh hints that the company wants to deploy a "different type of wireless" plan (possibly cooperative WiMax with Sprint?). The CEO says that just 6% of Qwest customers grab wireless service -- not too surprising given their offering is simply a re-branding of Sprint service, but more expensive and with data caps. Mueller did say he's eager to renegotiate a new financial deal with Sprint.

The CEO also stated that the company would likely soon offer Geek Squad-style tech support services, something that's increasingly common (see Cox's tech solutions). Mueller, who today insisted that broadband is a $1 billion market for the company, should offer a few more tidbits tomorrow at the Merrill Lynch Communications Services Forum, which should be webcast. Hopefully there will be some surprises in the mix.