LandMark Communications Inc., which began offering ISP services in February, last week inked deals to purchase new network facilities from Qwest Communications and to expand its existing agreement with Covad Communications.

"We consider ourselves a network-within-a-network," said William Kettle, CEO and chairman of LMCI. "Through our agreements with Qwest and Covad, we are able to offer lower rates than if we had built our own network."

Under the terms of the three-year deal with Qwest, LMCI will purchase $25 million in advanced services, including dedicated Internet access, ATM, frame relay and co-location services within Qwest CyberCenters. LMCI plans to use the Qwest network to extend its market reach for its Zip DSL product line and Real Private Network services. RPN provides service to national corporate customers that don't have DSL available in their area by connecting their remote offices through dedicated OC-n, T-3, T-1, ATM, frame relay, ISDN and dial-up connectivity services.

LMCI's agreement with Covad extends the company's DSL services to markets in Florida and Texas. Customers within the Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston Texas, and Miami metropolitan areas now can subscribe to LMCI's high-speed business-class Internet, data, video and voice services.

LMCI hopes to become the largest seller of DSL, Kettle said. "Our goal, of course, is to maintain strong customer service in order to keep churn rates low. Customer service is the name of the game. We are very excited about our position in the industry and the possibility of our company becoming the MCI [WorldCom] of the DSL market."

The company plans to offer services, including voice over IP, throughout North America by the end of the year, Kettle said. "LMCI is one of our larger partners in the California market and we will expand with them as they continue to move into the national market," said Kevin Cottrell, vice president of sales for Covad.