DENVER -- Qwest Communications (NYSE: Q - News) announced today that it was awarded a 10-year contract from the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Telecommunications Service Program Office (DTSPO). Under the contract, called the SPECTRUM contract, Qwest will have the opportunity to deliver a variety of network services to U.S. government agencies around the world. Qwest has the opportunity to receive up to $36 million per year -- or $360 million over the life of the contract. Qwest's subcontractor partners for this effort are COMSAT General (a division of Lockheed Martin) and Communication Technologies, Inc. (COMTek). The SPECTRUM program was created to deliver networked telecommunication services -- including high-speed video, data, ATM and IP services -- to U.S. Department of State embassies and consulates around the world. "The federal government is an important customer to Qwest and we look forward to helping DTSPO build a next-generation global infrastructure," said James F.X. Payne, senior vice president and general manager of Qwest's government services division. "Qwest, along with our teaming partners, has clearly proven itself as a leader in providing the skill set and level of service that federal government agencies expect from the private sector." Qwest provides network services to a wide range of federal government agencies, including the Department of Energy, NASA, the Department of Treasury, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Qwest Communications International Inc.