INDENTURE,  dated  as  of  November  27,  1998  between  Qwest
Communications  International  Inc., a corporation  duly  organized and existing
under the laws of the State of Delaware  (herein called the  "Company"),  having
its principal  office at 555 Seventeenth  Street,  Denver,  Colorado 80202,  and
Bankers Trust Company,  a New York banking  corporation,  Trustee (herein called
the "Trustee").

                             RECITALS OF THE COMPANY

                  The Company has duly  authorized  the  creation of an issue of
7.25% Senior Notes Due 2008 (herein called the "Initial  Securities")  and 7.25%
Series B Senior Notes Due 2008 (the "Exchange Securities" and, together with the
Initial  Securities,  the  "Securities"),  of substantially the tenor and amount
hereinafter set forth,  and to provide  therefor the Company has duly authorized
the execution and delivery of this Indenture.

                  All things  necessary  have been done to make the  Securities,
when executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered  hereunder and duly
issued by the  Company,  the valid  obligations  of the Company and to make this
Indenture  a valid  agreement  of  each  of the  Company  and  the  Trustee,  in
accordance with their and its terms.

                  NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:

                  For and in  consideration  of the premises and the purchase of
the Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed, for
the equal  and  proportionate  benefit  of all  Holders  of the  Securities,  as
follows:


                                   ARTICLE ONE

                        DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS
                             OF GENERAL APPLICATION

                  SECTION 101.  Definitions.

                  For  all  purposes  of this  Indenture,  except  as  otherwise
expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:

                  (a) the  terms  defined  in this  Article  have  the  meanings
         assigned to them in this Article, and include the plural as well as the
         singular;

                  (b) all other terms used herein which are defined in the Trust
         Indenture  Act,  either  directly  or by  reference  therein,  have the
         meanings assigned to them therein, and the terms "cash transaction" and
         "self-liquidating paper", as used in TIA Section311,

NYDOCS01/571795 3







         shall have the meanings assigned to them in the rules of the Commission
         adopted under the Trust Indenture Act;

                  (c) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the
         meanings  assigned  to  them  in  accordance  with  generally  accepted
         accounting  principles,  and,  except  as  otherwise  herein  expressly
         provided,  the term "generally  accepted  accounting  principles"  with
         respect to any computation  required or permitted  hereunder shall mean
         such  accounting  principles as are  generally  accepted at the date of
         such computation;

                  (d) the words  "herein",  "hereof" and  "hereunder"  and other
         words of similar  import refer to this  Indenture as a whole and not to
         any particular Article, Section, paragraph or other subdivision; and

                  (e)  unless  otherwise  indicated,   references  to  Articles,
         Sections,  paragraphs  or other  subdivisions  are  references  to such
         Articles, Sections, paragraphs or other subdivisions of this Indenture.

                  "Acquired Debt" means,  with respect to any specified  Person,
(i) Debt of any other  Person  existing at the time such  Person  merges with or
into or consolidates  with or becomes a Subsidiary of such specified  Person and
(ii) Debt secured by a Lien  encumbering  any asset  acquired by such  specified
Person,  which Debt was not  incurred in  anticipation  of, and was  outstanding
prior to, such merger, consolidation or acquisition.

                  "Act", when used with respect to any Holder, has the meaning 
specified in Section104.

                  "Affiliate"  of any Person means any other Person  directly or
indirectly  controlling  or  controlled  by or under  direct or indirect  common
control with such Person.  For the purposes of this  definition,  "control" when
used with  respect to any Person  means the power to direct the  management  and
policies of such Person,  directly or indirectly,  whether through the ownership
of voting securities,  by contract or otherwise; and the terms "controlling" and
"controlled" have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

                  "Agent Member" has the meaning specified in Section 312.

                  "Applicable  Make-Whole  Premium"  means,  with respect to any
Security,  the excess of (A) the  present  value at the  Redemption  Date of the
required interest and principal payments due on such Security,  computed using a
discount rate equal to the Treasury Rate plus 37.5 basis points, computed on the
basis of a 360-day year  comprised of twelve  30-day  months,  over (B) the then
outstanding principal amount of such Security.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  "Asset  Disposition"  means any  transfer,  conveyance,  sale,
lease or other disposition by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in one or
more related  transactions  occurring  within any 12-month  period  (including a
consolidation  or merger or other sale of any such Restricted  Subsidiary  with,
into or to another Person in a transaction in which such  Restricted  Subsidiary
ceases to be a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, but excluding a disposition
by a Restricted  Subsidiary to the Company or a Restricted  Subsidiary or by the
Company to a  Restricted  Subsidiary)  of (i)  shares of Capital  Stock or other
ownership  interests  of a  Restricted  Subsidiary  (other than as  permitted by
clauses  (iii),  (iv) and (v) of  Section  1019),  (ii)substantially  all of the
assets of the Company or any  Restricted  Subsidiary  representing a division or
line of  business  or  (iii)  other  assets  or  rights  of the  Company  or any
Restricted  Subsidiary outside of the ordinary course of business (excluding any
transfer,  conveyance,  sale,  lease or other  disposition  of equipment that is
obsolete  or no  longer  used by or  useful to the  Company,  provided  that the
Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers'  Certificate stating that such
criteria are satisfied);  provided in each case that the aggregate consideration
for such  transfer,  conveyance,  sale,  lease or other  disposition is equal to
$500,000 or more in any 12-month period and provided  further that the following
shall not be Asset Dispositions:  (x) Permitted Telecommunications Capital Asset
Dispositions,    (y)exchanges   of    Telecommunications    Assets   for   other
Telecommunications  Assets where the Fair Market Value of the Telecommunications
Assets   received  is  at  least   equal  to  the  Fair  Market   Value  of  the
Telecommunications Assets disposed of or, if less, the difference is received in
cash and such  cash is Net  Available  Proceeds  and  (z)Liens  permitted  to be
Incurred pursuant to the second paragraph of Section 1015.

                  "Attributable  Value" means, as to any particular  lease under
which any Person is at the time liable  other than a Capital  Lease  Obligation,
and at any date as of which the amount  thereof is to be  determined,  the total
net amount of rent  required to be paid by such Person  under such lease  during
the initial term thereof as  determined in accordance  with  generally  accepted
accounting principles, discounted from the last date of such initial term to the
date of determination at a rate per annum equal to the discount rate which would
be applicable to a Capital Lease  Obligation  with like term in accordance  with
generally accepted accounting principles.  The net amount of rent required to be
paid under any such lease for any such period shall be the  aggregate  amount of
rent payable by the lessee with respect to such period after  excluding  amounts
required  to be paid on  account  of  insurance,  taxes,  assessments,  utility,
operating and labor costs and similar charges. In the case of any lease which is
terminable by the lessee upon the payment of penalty, such net amount shall also
include the lesser of the amount of such penalty (in which case no rent shall be
considered as required to be paid under such lease  subsequent to the first date
upon  which  it may be so  terminated)  or the rent  which  would  otherwise  be
required  to be paid if such lease is not so  terminated.  "Attributable  Value"
means, as to a Capital Lease Obligation, the principal amount thereof.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  "Board of Directors" means the board of directors of the 
Company.

                  "Board  Resolution" means a copy of a resolution  certified by
the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted
by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such
certification, and delivered to the Trustee.

                  "Business Day" means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
and  Friday  which is not a day on  which  banking  institutions  in The City of
NewYork are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

                  "Capital Lease  Obligation" of any Person means the obligation
to  pay  rent  or  other  payment  amounts  under  a  lease  of (or  other  Debt
arrangements  conveying  the right to use)  real or  personal  property  of such
Person which is required to be  classified  and accounted for as a capital lease
or a liability on the face of a balance sheet of such Person in accordance  with
generally  accepted  accounting  principles  (a  "Capital  Lease").  The  stated
maturity of such obligation shall be the date of the last payment of rent or any
other  amount due under such lease prior to the first date upon which such lease
may be  terminated  by the lessee  without  payment of a penalty.  The principal
amount of such  obligation  shall be the  capitalized  amount thereof that would
appear  on the  face of a  balance  sheet  of such  Person  in  accordance  with
generally accepted accounting principles.

                  "Capital  Stock"  of any  Person  means  any and  all  shares,
interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate
stock or other equity participations,  including partnership interests,  whether
general or limited, of such Person.

                  "Cash  Equivalents"  means  (i)any Debt with a maturity of 365
days or less issued or directly  and fully  guaranteed  as insured by the United
States or any agency or  instrumentality  thereof  (provided that the full faith
and  credit of the United  States is  pledged  in  support  thereof or such Debt
constitutes a general obligation of such country); (ii)deposits, certificates of
deposit  or  acceptances  with a maturity  of 365 days or less of any  financial
institution that is a member of the Federal Reserve System,  in each case having
combined  capital  and  surplus and  undivided  profits (or any similar  capital
concept) of not less than $500 million and whose senior  unsecured debt is rated
at least "A-1" by Standard & Poor's Ratings Service,  a division of McGraw Hill,
Inc., or "P-1" by Moody's Investors Service, Inc.;  (iii)commercial paper with a
maturity of 365 days or less issued by a Corporation (other than an Affiliate of
the Company)  organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof
and rated at least "A-1" by  Standard & Poor's  Ratings  Service,  a division of
McGraw  Hill,  Inc.,  or  "P-1"  by  Moody's   Investors   Service,   Inc.;  and
(iv)repurchase   agreements  and  reverse  repurchase   agreements  relating  to
marketable direct obligations issued or unconditionally guaranteed by the United
States or issued by any agency or instrumentality thereof and backed

NYDOCS01/571795 3







by the full faith and credit of the United States  maturing within 365 days from
the date of acquisition.

                  "Change of Control" has the meaning specified in Section 1010.

                  "Commission" means the Securities and Exchange Commission,  as
from time to time  constituted,  created  under the Exchange  Act, or, if at any
time after the execution of this Indenture  such  Commission is not existing and
performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the
body performing such duties at such time.

                  "Common  Stock"  of any  Person  means  Capital  Stock of such
Person that does not rank prior,  as to the  payment of  dividends  or as to the
distribution   of  assets  upon  any  voluntary  or   involuntary   liquidation,
dissolution  or winding  up of such  Person,  to shares of Capital  Stock of any
other class of such Person.

                  "Company" means the Person named as the "Company" in the first
paragraph  of this  Indenture,  until a successor  Person shall have become such
pursuant  to  the  applicable  provisions  of  this  Indenture,  and  thereafter
"Company" shall mean such successor Person.

                  "Company  Order" or "Company  Request" means a written request
or order signed in the name of the Company by the Chief Executive  Officer,  the
President or a Vice  President,  and by the Chief Financial  Officer,  the Chief
Accounting Officer, the Treasurer,  an Assistant Treasurer,  the Secretary or an
Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee.

                  "Comparable  Treasury  Issue" means the United States Treasury
security  selected by a Reference  Treasury Dealer  appointed by the Company has
having a maturity  comparable  to the  remaining  term of the  Securities  to be
redeemed that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with
customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities
of comparable maturity to the remaining term of such Securities.

                  "Comparable   Treasury  Price"  means,  with  respect  to  any
Redemption  Date, (i) the average of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable
Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal  amount)
on the third  business day preceding such  Redemption  Date, as set forth in the
daily statistical  release (or any successor  release)  published by the Federal
Reserve Bank of New York and designated "Composite 3:30 p.m. Quotations for U.S.
Government Securities" or (ii) if such release (or any successor release) is not
published or does not contain such prices on such  business day, (A) the average
of the Reference  Treasury  Dealer  Quotations for such Redemption  Date,  after
excluding the highest and lowest such Reference Treasury Dealer  Quotations,  or
(B) if the Company obtains fewer

NYDOCS01/571795 3







than four such Reference  Treasury  Dealer  Quotations,  the average of all such
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations.

                  "Consolidated  Capital  Ratio"  of any  Person  as of any date
means the ratio of (i)the  aggregate  consolidated  principal  amount of Debt of
such Person  then  outstanding  to (ii)the  greater of either  (a)the  aggregate
consolidated  paid-in  capital  of  such  Person  as  of  such  date  or  (b)the
stockholders'  equity as of such date as shown on the consolidated balance sheet
of such Person in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

                  "Consolidated  Cash Flow  Available for Fixed Charges" for any
period  means the  Consolidated  Net Income of the  Company  and its  Restricted
Subsidiaries for such period  increased by the sum of (i) Consolidated  Interest
Expense of the Company and its  Restricted  Subsidiaries  for such period,  plus
(ii)  Consolidated  Income Tax Expense of the Company and its  Subsidiaries  for
such period, plus (iii) the consolidated  depreciation and amortization  expense
or other non-cash  write-offs of assets included in the income  statement of the
Company and its Restricted  Subsidiaries  for such period,  plus (iv) any charge
related to any premium or penalty paid in connection  with redeeming or retiring
any Debt prior to its stated maturity;  provided,  however,  that there shall be
excluded  therefrom the  Consolidated  Cash Flow Available for Fixed Charges (if
positive)  of  any  Restricted  Subsidiary   (calculated   separately  for  such
Restricted Subsidiary in the same manner as provided above for the Company) that
is subject to a  restriction  which  prevents  the payment of  dividends  or the
making of distributions to the Company or another  Restricted  Subsidiary to the
extent of such restriction.

                  "Consolidated  Income Tax  Expense"  for any period  means the
aggregate  amounts of the  provisions  for income  taxes of the  Company and its
Subsidiaries  for such period  calculated on a consolidated  basis in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles.

                  "Consolidated  Interest  Expense"  means  for any  period  the
interest expense included in a consolidated income statement (excluding interest
income)  of the  Company  and its  Restricted  Subsidiaries  for such  period in
accordance with generally  accepted  accounting  principles,  including  without
limitation or duplication (or, to the extent not so included,  with the addition
of),  (i)the  amortization  of Debt  discounts;  (ii) any  payments or fees with
respect to letters of credit, bankers' acceptances or similar facilities;  (iii)
fees with  respect  to  interest  rate swap or  similar  agreements  or  foreign
currency hedge, exchange or similar agreements; (iv)Preferred Stock dividends of
the  Company  and its  Subsidiaries  (other  than  dividends  paid in  shares of
Preferred  Stock that is not  Disqualified  Stock) declared and paid or payable;
(v)accrued  Disqualified  Stock  dividends  of the  Company  and its  Restricted
Subsidiaries,  whether or not declared or paid; (vi) interest on Debt guaranteed
by the Company and its

NYDOCS01/571795 3







Restricted  Subsidiaries;  and (vii)the  portion of any Capital Lease Obligation
paid during such period that is allocable to interest expense.

                  "Consolidated  Net Income" for any period means the net income
(or  loss) of the  Company  and its  Restricted  Subsidiaries  for  such  period
determined  on a  consolidated  basis  in  accordance  with  generally  accepted
accounting  principles;  provided that there shall be excluded therefrom (a) the
net income  (or loss) of any  Person  acquired  by the  Company or a  Restricted
Subsidiary  in a  pooling-of-interests  transaction  for any period prior to the
date of such transaction, (b) the net income (or loss) of any Person that is not
a Restricted Subsidiary except to the extent of the amount of dividends or other
distributions  actually  paid to the Company or a Restricted  Subsidiary by such
Person  during such  period,  (c) gains or losses on Asset  Dispositions  by the
Company  or  its  Restricted  Subsidiaries,  (d)  all  extraordinary  gains  and
extraordinary   losses,   determined  in  accordance  with  generally   accepted
accounting  principles,  (e)the  cumulative  effect  of  changes  in  accounting
principles, (f) non-cash gains or losses resulting from fluctuations in currency
exchange rates, (g) any non-cash expense related to the issuance to employees or
directors of the Company or any  Restricted  Subsidiary  or any Affiliate of the
Company  of (i)  options  to  purchase  Capital  Stock  of the  Company  or such
Restricted  Subsidiary or (ii) other  compensatory  rights  (including under the
Company's  Growth Share Plan),  provided,  in either case,  that such options or
rights, by their terms, can be redeemed only for Capital Stock, (h) with respect
to a Restricted Subsidiary that is not a Wholly Owned Subsidiary,  any aggregate
net income (or loss) in excess of the Company's or any  Restricted  Subsidiary's
pro rata share of the net income (or loss) of such Restricted Subsidiary that is
not a Wholly Owned Subsidiary shall be excluded and (i) the tax effect of any of
the items described in clauses (a) through (h) above;  provided further that for
purposes of any  determination  pursuant to Section 1013, there shall further be
excluded  therefrom  the  net  income  (but  not  net  loss)  of any  Restricted
Subsidiary  that is subject  to a  restriction  which  prevents  the  payment of
dividends or the making of  distributions  to the Company or another  Restricted
Subsidiary to the extent of such restriction.

                  "Consolidated Net Worth" of any Person means the stockholders'
equity of such Person,  determined on a  consolidated  basis in accordance  with
generally  accepted  accounting   principles,   less  amounts   attributable  to
Disqualified  Stock of such Person;  provided that, with respect to the Company,
adjustments  following March 31, 1997 to the accounting books and records of the
Company in accordance with Accounting  Principles  Board Opinions Nos. 16 and 17
(or successor  opinions thereto) or otherwise  resulting from the acquisition of
control of the Company by another Person shall not be given effect to.

                  "Consolidated  Tangible  Assets" of any Person means the total
amount of assets (less applicable  reserves and other properly deductible items)
which under  generally  accepted  accounting  principles  would be included on a
consolidated  balance sheet of such Person and its Subsidiaries  after deducting
therefrom all goodwill, trade names, trademarks, patents,

NYDOCS01/571795 3







unamortized debt discount and expense and other like intangibles,  which in each
case under generally  accepted  accounting  principles would be included on such
consolidated balance sheet.

                  "Continuing  Director" means, as of any date of determination,
any  member of the  Board of  Directors  who (i) was a member  of such  Board of
Directors on March 31, 1997 or (ii) was nominated for election or elected to the
Board of Directors  with the  affirmative  vote of a majority of the  Continuing
Directors  who  were  members  of the  Board  of  Directors  at the time of such
nomination or election or the affirmative vote of Permitted Holders.

                  "Corporate  Trust Office" means the principal  corporate trust
office of the  Trustee,  at which at any  particular  time its  corporate  trust
business  shall be  administered,  which office at the date of execution of this
Indenture is located at Four Albany  Street,  New York,  New York 10006,  except
that, with respect to presentation of Securities for payment or for registration
of  transfer  or  exchange,  such term  shall  mean the  office or agency of the
Trustee at which, at any particular time, its corporate agency business shall be
conducted.

                  "Corporation" includes corporations, associations, companies 
and business trusts.

                  "Credit Facilities" means one or more credit agreements,  loan
agreements or similar facilities,  secured or unsecured,  entered into from time
to time by the  Company  and its  Restricted  Subsidiaries,  and  including  any
related notes,  Guarantees,  collateral  documents,  instruments  and agreements
executed in  connection  therewith,  as the same may be  amended,  supplemented,
modified, restated or replaced from time to time.

                  "Debt"  means  (without  duplication),  with  respect  to  any
Person, whether recourse is to all or a portion of the assets of such Person and
whether  or not  contingent,  (i)every  obligation  of  such  Person  for  money
borrowed,  (ii) every obligation of such Person evidenced by bonds,  debentures,
notes or other similar instruments, including obligations incurred in connection
with  the   acquisition  of  property,   assets  or   businesses,   (iii)  every
reimbursement  obligation  of such  Person  with  respect  to letters of credit,
bankers'  acceptances  or  similar  facilities  issued  for the  account of such
Person,  (iv) every  obligation of such Person issued or assumed as the deferred
purchase  price  of  property  or  services  (including   securities  repurchase
agreements but excluding trade accounts payable or accrued  liabilities  arising
in the ordinary course of business),  (v) every Capital Lease Obligation of such
Person, (vi) all Receivables Sales of such Person,  together with any obligation
of such Person to pay any  discount,  interest,  fees,  indemnities,  penalties,
recourse,   expenses  or  other  amounts  in  connection  therewith,  (vii)  all
obligations  to redeem  Disqualified  Stock issued by such Person,  (viii) every
obligation under Interest Rate and Currency Protection Agreements of such Person
and (ix) every  obligation of the type referred to in clauses (i) through (viii)
of another Person and all dividends of another  Person the payment of which,  in
either case, such Person has

NYDOCS01/571795 3







Guaranteed.  The  "amount"  or  "principal  amount"  of  Debt  at  any  time  of
determination as used herein  represented by (a) any Debt issued at a price that
is less than the principal amount at maturity thereof shall be the amount of the
liability in respect thereof  determined in accordance  with generally  accepted
accounting  principles,  (b)any  Receivables  Sale  shall be the  amount  of the
unrecovered  capital or principal  investment of the  purchaser  (other than the
Company or a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of the Company) thereof,  excluding amounts
representative  of  yield or  interest  earned  on such  investment,  or  (c)any
Disqualified  Stock shall be the maximum fixed redemption or repurchase price in
respect thereof.

                  "Debt  Securities"  means any debt  securities  (including any
guarantee of such securities) issued by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary
of the  Company in  connection  with a public  offering  or a private  placement
(excluding   Debt  permitted  to  be  Incurred   pursuant  to   paragraph(b)  of
Section1011).

                  "Default" means any event,  act or condition the occurrence of
which is, or after  notice or the  passage of time or both would be, an Event of
Default.

                  "Defaulted Interest" has the meaning specified in Section307.

                  "Depository" means The Depository Trust Company, its nominees 
and successors.

                  "Designation" and "Designation Amount" have the respective 
meanings specified in Section1021.

                  "Disqualified  Stock" of any Person means any Capital Stock of
such Person  which,  by its terms (or by the terms of any security into which it
is  convertible or for which it is  exchangeable),  or upon the happening of any
event,  matures  or  is  mandatorily  redeemable,  pursuant  to a  sinking  fund
obligation  or otherwise,  or is  redeemable  at the option of such Person,  any
Subsidiary  of such  Person or the holder  thereof,  in whole or in part,  on or
prior to the final Stated Maturity of the Securities,  provided,  however,  that
any  Preferred  Stock  which  would not  constitute  Disqualified  Stock but for
provisions  thereof giving  holders  thereof the right to require the Company to
repurchase  or redeem such  Preferred  Stock upon the  occurrence of a Change of
Control occurring prior to the final Stated Maturity of the Securities shall not
constitute  Disqualified Stock if the change of control provisions applicable to
such  Preferred  Stock are no more  favorable  to the holders of such  Preferred
Stock than the provisions  applicable to the Securities contained in Section1010
and such  Preferred  Stock  specifically  provides  that the  Company  shall not
repurchase  or redeem any such stock  pursuant to such  provisions  prior to the
Company's  repurchase  of such  Securities  as are  required  to be  repurchased
pursuant to Section1010.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  "Eligible  Institution" means a commercial banking institution
that has  combined  capital  and  surplus  of not less than $500  million or its
equivalent in foreign currency, whose debt is rated "A" (or higher) according to
Standard & Poor's  Ratings  Service,  a division of McGraw  Hill,  Inc.  (or any
successor to the rating agency business thereof),  or Moody's Investors Service,
Inc. (or any successor to the rating agency business  thereof) at the time as of
which any investment or rollover therein is made.

                  "Eligible  Receivables" means, at any time, Receivables of the
Company  and its  Restricted  Subsidiaries,  as  evidenced  on the  most  recent
quarterly  consolidated  balance  sheet of the  Company as at a date at least 45
days prior to such  time,  less  Receivables  of the  Company or any  Restricted
Subsidiary   employed  to  secure  Debt  Incurred  pursuant  to  clause(vii)  of
paragraph(b) of Section1011.

                  "Event of Default" has the meaning specified in Section501.

                  "Exchange Act" means the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (or any successor  act),  and the rules and  regulations  thereunder (or
respective successors thereto).

                  "Exchange Offer" means the exchange offer that may be effected
pursuant to the Registration Agreement.

                  "Exchange Offer Registration Statement" means the Exchange 
Offer Registration Statement as defined in the Registration Agreement.

                  "Exchange  Securities"  has the  meaning  stated  in the first
recital of this Indenture and refers to any Exchange Securities containing terms
substantially  identical to the Initial  Securities  (except that such  Exchange
Securities shall not contain terms with respect to transfer  restrictions)  that
are issued and exchanged for the Initial Securities pursuant to the Registration
Agreement and this Indenture.

                  "Expiration Date" has the meaning specified in "Offer to 
Purchase" below.

                  "Fair  Market  Value"  means,  with  respect  to any  asset or
property,  the price that could be  negotiated  in an  arm's-length  free market
transaction,  for cash, between a willing seller and a willing buyer, neither of
whom is under  pressure or compulsion to complete the  transaction.  Fair Market
Value shall be  determined  by the Board of  Directors  acting in good faith and
shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution delivered to the Trustee.

                  "Federal  Bankruptcy Code" means the Bankruptcy Act of Title11
of the United States Code, as amended from time to time.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  "Global  Security"  means a Rule  144A  Global  Security  or a
Regulation S Global Security, as the case may be.

                  "Government   Securities"  means  direct  obligations  of,  or
obligations guaranteed by, the United States of America for the payment of which
guarantee  or  obligations  the full faith and  credit of the  United  States is
pledged and which have a remaining weighted average life to maturity of not less
than one year from the date of investment therein.

                  "Group" has the meaning specified in Section1010.

                  "Guarantee" by any Person means any obligation,  contingent or
otherwise,  of such  Person  guaranteeing,  or  having  the  economic  effect of
guaranteeing,  any Debt of any  other  Person  (the  "primary  obligor")  in any
manner, whether directly or indirectly,  and including,  without limitation, any
obligation of such Person (i) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for
the  purchase or payment  of) such Debt or to purchase  (or to advance or supply
funds for the purchase  of) any  security  for the payment of such Debt,  (ii)to
purchase property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the holder
of such Debt of the payment of such Debt or (iii) to maintain  working  capital,
equity  capital or other  financial  statement  condition  or  liquidity  of the
primary  obligor  so as to  enable  the  primary  obligor  to pay such Debt (and
"Guaranteed",  "Guaranteeing" and "Guarantor" shall have meanings correlative to
the foregoing);  provided,  however,  that the Guarantee by any Person shall not
include  endorsements by such Person for collection or deposit,  in either case,
in the ordinary course of business.

                  "Guarantor" means a Restricted  Subsidiary of the Company that
has executed a Restricted Subsidiary Guarantee.

                  "Holder" means a Person in whose name a Security is registered
in the Security Register.

                  "Incur" means, with respect to any Debt or other obligation of
any Person,  to create,  issue,  incur (by  conversion,  exchange or otherwise),
assume,  Guarantee or otherwise  become  liable in respect of such Debt or other
obligation  including  by  acquisition  of  Subsidiaries  or the  recording,  as
required pursuant to generally accepted accounting  principles or otherwise,  of
any such Debt or other  obligation  on the  balance  sheet of such  Person  (and
"Incurrence",  "Incurred",  "Incurrable"  and  "Incurring"  shall have  meanings
correlative to the  foregoing);  provided,  however,  that a change in generally
accepted accounting principles that results in an obligation of such Person that
exists at such time becoming Debt shall not be deemed an Incurrence of such Debt
and that  neither the accrual of interest nor the  accretion  of original  issue
discount shall be deemed an Incurrence of Debt.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  "Indenture"  means this instrument as originally  executed and
as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures
supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof.

                  "Indenture  Obligations"  means the obligations of the Company
and any other  obligor  under  this  Indenture  or under the  Securities  to pay
principal  of,  premium,  if any,  and interest on the  Securities  when due and
payable, whether at maturity, by acceleration, call for redemption or repurchase
or otherwise,  and all other amounts due or to become due under or in connection
with  this  Indenture  or the  Securities  and  the  performance  of  all  other
obligations  to the  Trustee  (including,  but not  limited  to,  payment of all
amounts due the Trustee under Section607),  Paying Agent, Security Registrar and
the Holders of the Securities under this Indenture and the Securities  according
to the terms thereof.

                  "Initial Purchaser" means Salomon Smith Barney Inc.

                  "Initial Securities" has the meaning provided in the recitals 
to this Indenture.

                  "Interest Payment Date" means the Stated Maturity of an 
installment of interest on the Securities.

                  "Interest Rate or Currency Protection Agreement" of any Person
means any forward contract,  futures  contract,  swap, option or other financial
agreement or arrangement (including,  without limitation,  caps, floors, collars
and similar  agreements)  relating to, or the value of which is dependent  upon,
interest rates or currency exchange rates or indices.

                  "Investment"  by any Person means any direct or indirect loan,
advance  or other  extension  of credit  or  capital  contribution  (by means of
transfers  of cash or other  property  to others or  payments  for  property  or
services  for the  account or use of others,  or  otherwise)  to, or purchase or
acquisition of Capital Stock,  bonds,  notes,  debentures or other securities or
evidence  of Debt  issued  by,  any other  Person,  including  any  payment on a
Guarantee of any obligation of such other Person.

                  "Investment  Grade Rating"  means,  (i) with respect to Moodys
Investors  Service,  Inc.  (or  any  successor  to the  rating  agency  business
thereof),  a rating equal to or higher than Baa3 (or the  equivalent),  and (ii)
with  respect to Standard & Poors  Ratings  Service,  a division of McGraw Hill,
Inc. (or any successor to the rating agency business thereof), a rating equal to
or higher than BBB- (or the equivalent).

                  "Lien"  means,  with  respect to any  property or assets,  any
mortgage or deed of trust, pledge, hypothecation,  assignment, Receivables Sale,
deposit arrangement,  security interest,  lien, charge, easement (other than any
easement not materially impairing usefulness),

NYDOCS01/571795 3







encumbrance,  preference,  priority or other security  agreement or preferential
arrangement of any kind or nature whatsoever on or with respect to such property
or assets (including,  without  limitation,  any conditional sale or other title
retention agreement having  substantially the same economic effect as any of the
foregoing). For purposes of this definition the sale, lease, conveyance or other
transfer  by  the  Company  or  any  Subsidiary  of,   including  the  grant  of
indefeasible  rights of use or equivalent  arrangements with respect to, dark or
lit communications fiber capacity or communications conduit shall not constitute
a Lien.

                  "Liquidated Interest" has the meaning specified in Exhibit A.

                  "Maturity",  when used with respect to any Security, means the
date on which the  principal  of such  Security or an  installment  of principal
becomes  due and  payable as therein or herein  provided,  whether at the Stated
Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, notice of redemption or otherwise.

                  "Net  Available  Proceeds"  from any Asset  Disposition by any
Person means cash or cash equivalents  received  (including  amounts received by
way of  sale  or  discounting  of any  note,  installment  receivable  or  other
receivable,  but  excluding  any  other  consideration  received  in the form of
assumption  by the  acquiror  of  Debt or  other  obligations  relating  to such
properties or assets)  therefrom by such Person,  net of (i) any portion thereof
invested within 360 days of such Asset Disposition in Telecommunications Assets,
(ii) all legal, title and recording tax expenses, commissions and other fees and
expenses Incurred and all federal,  state,  provincial,  foreign and local taxes
required  to  be  accrued  as  a  liability  as  a  consequence  of  such  Asset
Disposition,  (iii)all  payments made by such Person or its  Subsidiaries on any
Debt which is secured by such  assets in  accordance  with the terms of any Lien
upon or with respect to such assets or which must by the terms of such Lien,  or
in  order  to  obtain  a  necessary  consent  to such  Asset  Disposition  or by
applicable  law,  be repaid out of the  proceeds  from such  Asset  Disposition,
(iv)all  distributions  and other payments made to minority  interest holders in
Subsidiaries  of such  Person or  Permitted  Joint  Ventures as a result of such
Asset  Disposition and (v) appropriate  amounts to be provided by such Person or
any  Subsidiary  thereof,  as the case may be, as a reserve in  accordance  with
generally accepted accounting principles against any liabilities associated with
such assets and retained by such Person or any Subsidiary  thereof,  as the case
may be, after such Asset Disposition, including, without limitation, liabilities
under  any   indemnification   obligations  and  severance  and  other  employee
termination  costs  associated  with  such  Asset  Disposition,  in each case as
determined  by the Board of  Directors of such Person,  in its  reasonable  good
faith judgment  evidenced by Board Resolution filed with the Trustee;  provided,
however,  that any reduction in such reserve within twelve months  following the
consummation  of  such  Asset  Disposition  shall  be for all  purposes  of this
Indenture and the Securities  treated as a new Asset  Disposition at the time of
such  reduction  with  Net  Available  Proceeds  equal  to the  amount  of  such
reduction.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  "Notice of Default" has the meaning specified in Section501.

                  "Offer" has the meaning specified in "Offer to Purchase" 
below.

                  "Offer to Purchase"  means a written  offer (the "Offer") sent
by the  Company  by  first  class  mail,  postage  prepaid,  to each  Holder  of
Securities at his address  appearing in the Security Register on the date of the
Offer offering to purchase up to the principal amount of Securities specified in
such Offer at the purchase price specified in such Offer (as determined pursuant
to Section1010 or Section 1018, as the case may be). Unless  otherwise  required
by applicable law, the Offer shall specify an expiration  date (the  "Expiration
Date")  of the  Offer to  Purchase  which  shall  be,  subject  to any  contrary
requirements of applicable law, not less than 30 days or more than 60 days after
the date of such Offer and a settlement date (the "Purchase  Date") for purchase
of Securities  within five Business Days after the Expiration  Date. The Company
shall notify the Trustee at least 15 Business Days (or such shorter period as is
acceptable  to the Trustee)  prior to the mailing of the Offer of the  Company's
obligation  to make an Offer to  Purchase,  and the Offer shall be mailed by the
Company  or, at the  Company's  request,  by the  Trustee in the name and at the
expense of the  Company.  The Offer shall  contain  information  concerning  the
business  of the Company  and its  Subsidiaries  which the Company in good faith
believes  will enable such Holders to make an informed  decision with respect to
the Offer to  Purchase  (which at a minimum  will  include  (i) the most  recent
annual and quarterly  financial  statements  and  "Management's  Discussion  and
Analysis of  Financial  Condition  and Results of  Operations"  contained in the
documents  required to be filed with the Trustee pursuant to Section1008  (which
requirements  may be satisfied by delivery of such  documents  together with the
Offer),  (ii) a description of material  developments in the Company's  business
subsequent to the date of the latest of such financial statements referred to in
clause (i) (including a description of the events  requiring the Company to make
the Offer to Purchase),  (iii) if applicable,  appropriate  pro forma  financial
information  concerning  the Offer to  Purchase  and the  events  requiring  the
Company to make the Offer to Purchase and (iv) any other information required by
applicable law to be included therein). The Offer shall contain all instructions
and materials  necessary to enable such Holders to tender Securities pursuant to
the Offer to Purchase. The Offer shall also state:

                  (a)      the Section of this Indenture pursuant to which the 
         Offer to Purchase is being made;

                  (b)      the Expiration Date and the Purchase Date;

                  (c)  the  aggregate   principal   amount  of  the  Outstanding
         Securities offered to be purchased by the Company pursuant to the Offer
         to Purchase (including, if less than 100%, the manner by which such has
         been determined  pursuant to the Section hereof  requiring the Offer to
         Purchase) (the "Purchase Amount");

NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  (d) the  purchase  price  to be paid by the  Company  for each
         $1,000 aggregate  principal  amount of Securities  accepted for payment
         (as specified  pursuant to Section1010 or Section 1018, as the case may
         be) (the "Purchase Price");

                  (e) that the  Holder  may  tender  all or any  portion  of the
         Securities  registered  in the name of such Holder and that any portion
         of a Security  tendered  must be tendered  in an  integral  multiple of
         $1,000 principal amount;

                  (f)      the place or places where Securities are to be 
         surrendered for tender pursuant to the Offer to Purchase;

                  (g)      that any Securities not tendered or tendered but not 
         purchased by the Company will continue to accrue interest;

                  (h) that on the Purchase  Date the Purchase  Price will become
         due and payable upon each Security being accepted for payment  pursuant
         to the Offer to Purchase and that interest thereon, if any, shall cease
         to accrue on and after the Purchase Date;

                  (i) that each Holder electing to tender a Security pursuant to
         the Offer to Purchase  will be required to surrender  such  Security at
         the  place or  places  specified  in the  Offer  prior to the  close of
         business on the Expiration Date (such Security being, if the Company or
         the Trustee so requires,  duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written
         instrument  of  transfer  in form  satisfactory  to the Company and the
         Trustee  duly  executed  by, the Holder  thereof or its  attorney  duly
         authorized in writing);

                  (j) that  Holders  will be  entitled  to  withdraw  all or any
         portion of  Securities  tendered if the Company (or their Paying Agent)
         receives,  not later than the close of business on the Expiration Date,
         a telegram,  telex,  facsimile transmission or letter setting forth the
         name of the Holder,  the  principal  amount of the  Security the Holder
         tendered,  the  certificate  number of the Security the Holder tendered
         and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing all or a portion of its
         tender;

                  (k) that (i) if  Securities in an aggregate  principal  amount
         less than or equal to the  Purchase  Amount are duly  tendered  and not
         withdrawn pursuant to the Offer to Purchase, the Company shall purchase
         all such  Securities  and (ii) if Securities in an aggregate  principal
         amount in excess of the Purchase  Amount are tendered and not withdrawn
         pursuant  to  the  Offer  to  Purchase,   the  Company  shall  purchase
         Securities  having an aggregate  principal amount equal to the Purchase
         Amount on a pro rata  basis  (with  such  adjustments  as may be deemed
         appropriate  so that  only  Securities  in  denominations  of $1,000 or
         integral multiples thereof shall be purchased); and

NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  (l) that in the case of any Holder whose Security is purchased
         only  in  part,  the  Company  shall  execute,  and the  Trustee  shall
         authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Security without service
         charge, a new Security or Securities, of any authorized denomination as
         requested by such Holder, in an aggregate principal amount equal to and
         in exchange for the unpurchased portion of the Security so tendered.

Any Offer to Purchase  shall be governed by and effected in accordance  with the
Offer for such Offer to Purchase.

                  "Offering  Memorandum"  means the  Offering  Memorandum  dated
November  19,  1998  pursuant  to which the  Securities  were  offered,  and any
supplement thereto.

                  "Officers'  Certificate"  means a  certificate  signed  by the
Chairman of the board of directors of the Company,  a Vice Chairman of the board
of directors of the Company, the President or a Vice President, and by the Chief
Financial Officer,  the Chief Accounting  Officer,  the Treasurer,  an Assistant
Treasurer,  the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered
to the Trustee, which shall comply with the Indenture.

                  "Opinion of Counsel" means an opinion of counsel acceptable to
the Trustee  (who may be counsel to the  Company,  including  an employee of the
Company).

                  "Outstanding", when used with respect to Securities, means, as
of the date of  determination,  all  Securities  theretofore  authenticated  and
delivered under this Indenture, except:

                  (i)      Securities theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or 
         delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;

                  (ii)  Securities,  or portions  thereof,  for whose payment or
         redemption money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited
         with the Trustee or any Paying  Agent (other than the Company) in trust
         or set aside and  segregated  in trust by the  Company  (if the Company
         shall act as its own Paying Agent) for the Holders of such  Securities;
         provided that, if such  Securities  are to be redeemed,  notice of such
         redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture;

                  (iii)   Securities,   except  to  the   extent   provided   in
         Sections1202  and 1203,  with respect to which the Company has effected
         defeasance  and/or  covenant  defeasance as provided in Article Twelve;
         and

                  (iv) Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section306 or
         in  exchange  for or in  lieu  of  which  other  Securities  have  been
         authenticated and delivered pursuant

NYDOCS01/571795 3







         to this  Indenture,  other than any such Securities in respect of which
         there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it
         that such  Securities  are held by a bona fide purchaser in whose hands
         the Securities are valid obligations of the Company;

provided,  however,  that in  determining  whether the Holders of the  requisite
principal  amount of  Outstanding  Securities  have given any  request,  demand,
authorization,  direction,  consent,  notice  or waiver  hereunder,  and for the
purpose of making the calculations required by TIA Section313,  Securities owned
by the Company or any other obligor upon the  Securities or any Affiliate of the
Company  or such  other  obligor  shall  be  disregarded  and  deemed  not to be
Outstanding,  except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected
in  making  such  calculation  or in  relying  upon  any such  request,  demand,
authorization,  direction,  notice, consent or waiver, only Securities which any
Responsible Officer of the Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded.
Securities  so owned  which have been  pledged in good faith may be  regarded as
Outstanding if the pledgee  establishes to the  satisfaction  of the Trustee the
pledgee's  right so to act with respect to such  Securities and that the pledgee
is not the Company or any other obligor upon the  Securities or any Affiliate of
the Company or such other obligor.

                  "Paying Agent" means any Person  (including the Company acting
as Paying Agent) authorized by the Company to pay the principal of (and premium,
if any) or interest on any Securities on behalf of the Company.

                  "Permitted  Holders"  means any Person who was the  beneficial
owner  (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of stock of the
Company  on March 31,  1997,  and any  Affiliates  of such  Person  (i) who were
Affiliates of such Person on March 31, 1997 or (ii) who were formed, directly or
indirectly,  by any such Person after March 31, 1997;  provided,  however,  that
Persons who were  beneficial  owners (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the
Exchange Act) of such Person on March 31, 1997 continued to be beneficial owners
(within  the  meaning  of Rule  13d-3  under  the  Exchange  Act) at the time of
formation of such Affiliate.

                  "Permitted Interest Rate or Currency Protection  Agreement" of
any Person means any Interest Rate or Currency Protection Agreement entered into
with one or more financial  institutions in the ordinary course of business that
is designed to protect such Person  against  fluctuations  in interest  rates or
currency  exchange  rates with  respect to Debt  Incurred and which shall have a
notional  amount no greater than the payments due with respect to the Debt being
hedged thereby and not for purposes of speculation.

                  "Permitted  Investments"  means  (a)  Cash  Equivalents;   (b)
Investments in prepaid expenses,  negotiable instruments held for collection and
lease, utility and workers'

NYDOCS01/571795 3







compensation,  performance  and other similar  deposits;  (c)loans,  advances or
extensions of credit to employees and directors  made in the ordinary  course of
business and consistent with past practice;  (d) obligations under Interest Rate
or  Currency  Protection  Agreements;  (e)bonds,  notes,  debentures  and  other
securities  received  as a  result  of  Asset  Dispositions  pursuant  to and in
compliance  with  Section1018;  (f)Investments  made in the  ordinary  course of
business  as  partial  payment  for   constructing  a  network   relating  to  a
Telecommunications  Business;  (g)commercially  reasonable  extensions  of trade
credit;  (h)Investments in any Person as a result of which such Person becomes a
Restricted  Subsidiary;   (i)Investments  in  Permitted  Joint  Ventures  in  an
aggregate  amount not to exceed $25 million;  (j)Investments  in  Affiliates  or
Related Persons in an aggregate amount not to exceed  $11million,  provided that
the  making of such  Investments  is  permitted  pursuant  to  Section1020;  and
(k)Investments  in an aggregate  amount not to exceed $15 million  consisting of
the  contribution by the Company or any Restricted  Subsidiary of assets located
in Mexico to joint ventures in which the Company or a Restricted  Subsidiary has
an interest.

                  "Permitted Joint Venture" means a Corporation,  partnership or
other  entity  other  than a  Restricted  Subsidiary  engaged  in  one  or  more
Telecommunications  Businesses  over  which  the  Company  and/or  one  or  more
Strategic  Investors  have,  directly  or  indirectly,  the power to direct  the
policies, management and affairs.

                  "Permitted  Liens"  means (a) Liens  for  taxes,  assessments,
governmental charges, levies or claims which are not yet delinquent or which are
being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings,  if a reserve or other
appropriate provision, if any, as shall be required in conformity with generally
accepted  accounting  principles  shall have been made therefor;  (b)other Liens
incidental  to the conduct of the  Company's  and its  Restricted  Subsidiaries'
business or the ownership of its property and assets not securing any Debt,  and
which do not in the aggregate materially detract from the value of the Company's
and its Restricted  Subsidiaries'  property or assets when taken as a whole,  or
materially  impair the use thereof in the operation of its  business;  (c) Liens
with respect to assets of a  Restricted  Subsidiary  granted by such  Restricted
Subsidiary to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary to secure Debt owing to the
Company or such Restricted  Subsidiary;  (d) Liens, pledges and deposits made in
the  ordinary  course of  business in  connection  with  workers'  compensation,
unemployment  insurance  and other types of  statutory  obligations;  (e) Liens,
pledges or deposits made to secure the  performance  of tenders,  bids,  leases,
public  or  statutory  obligations,   sureties,  stays,  appeals,   indemnities,
performance or other similar bonds and other obligations of like nature Incurred
in the ordinary course of business  (exclusive of obligations for the payment of
borrowed money); (f) zoning restrictions,  servitudes, easements, rights-of-way,
restrictions and other similar charges or encumbrances  Incurred in the ordinary
course of business which, in the aggregate,  do not materially  detract from the
value of the property subject thereto or materially  interfere with the ordinary
conduct of the business of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries; (g) Liens
arising out of judgments or awards against or

NYDOCS01/571795 3







other court proceedings concerning the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary with
respect to which the Company or such  Restricted  Subsidiary is  prosecuting  an
appeal or proceeding for review and the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary is
maintaining  adequate reserves in accordance with generally accepted  accounting
principles; and (h) any interest or title of a lessor in the property subject to
any lease other than a Capital Lease.

                  "Permitted Telecommunications Capital Asset Disposition" means
the transfer,  conveyance,  sale, lease or other  disposition of a capital asset
that  is a  Telecommunications  Asset  (including  fiber,  conduit  and  related
equipment)  (i) the  proceeds of which are treated as revenues by the Company in
accordance with generally accepted  accounting  principles and (ii)that,  in the
case of the sale of fiber,  would not result in the Company  retaining less than
24 fibers per route mile on any segment of the Company's network.

                  "Person" means any individual, Corporation, partnership, joint
venture,  association,  joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization,
government or agency or political subdivision thereof or any other entity.

                  "Physical  Security"  means  Securities  issued in  registered
definitive form without coupons substantially in the form of Exhibit A.

                  "Predecessor  Security" of any particular Security means every
previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced
by such  particular  Security;  and,  for the purposes of this  definition,  any
Security  authenticated  and  delivered  under  Section306  in  exchange  for  a
mutilated  security or in lieu of a lost,  destroyed or stolen Security shall be
deemed to evidence  the same debt as the  mutilated,  lost,  destroyed or stolen
Security.

                  "Preferred  Dividends" for any Person means for any period the
quotient  determined by dividing the amount of dividends and distributions  paid
or accrued  (whether or not  declared) on Preferred  Stock of such Person during
such  period  calculated  in  accordance  with  generally  accepted   accounting
principles,  by 1 minus the maximum statutory income tax rate then applicable to
the Company (expressed as a decimal).

                  "Preferred  Stock" of any Person means  Capital  Stock of such
Person of any class or classes (however  designated) that ranks prior, as to the
payment of dividends or as to the  distribution  of assets upon any voluntary or
involuntary liquidation,  dissolution or winding up of such Person, to shares of
Capital Stock of any other class of such Person.

                  "Primary Treasury Dealer" means a primary Government 
Securities dealer in The City of New York.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  "Private  Placement  Legend" means the third  paragraph of the
legend set forth in the Securities in the form set forth in ExhibitA.

                  "Purchase Amount" has the meaning specified in "Offer to 
Purchase" above.

                  "Purchase Date" has the meaning specified in "Offer to 
Purchase" above.

                  "Purchase  Money Debt" means Debt  Incurred at any time within
270 days of, and for the purposes of  financing  all or any part of the cost of,
the construction, installation, acquisition or improvement by the Company or any
Restricted  Subsidiary  of the  Company  of any  new  Telecommunications  Assets
constructed, installed, acquired or improved after March 31, 1997, provided that
the  proceeds of such Debt are expended  for such  purposes  within such 270-day
period.

                  "Purchase Price" has the meaning specified in "Offer to 
Purchase" above.

                  "Qualified Institutional Buyer" or "QIB" has the meaning 
specified in Rule
144A.

                  "Rating Agencies" means Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (or any
 successor to the rating agency business thereof) and Standard & Poors Ratings 
Service, a division of McGraw Hill, Inc. (or any successor to the rating agency 
business thereof).

                  "Rating Decline" means the Securities cease to be rated B+ (or
the  equivalent  thereof)  or better by  Standard & Poor's  Ratings  Service,  a
division of McGraw Hill,  Inc., or B2 (or the  equivalent  thereof) or better by
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.

                  "Receivables" means receivables,  chattel paper,  instruments,
documents  or  intangibles  evidencing  or  relating  to the right to payment of
money, excluding allowances for doubtful accounts.

                  "Receivables Sale" of any Person means any sale of Receivables
of such Person  (pursuant to a purchase  facility or  otherwise),  other than in
connection with a disposition of the business operations of such Person relating
thereto or a disposition of defaulted Receivables for purposes of collection and
not as a financing arrangement.

                  "Redemption  Date",  when used with respect to any Security to
be redeemed, in whole or in part, means the date fixed for such redemption by or
pursuant to this Indenture.

                  "Redemption  Price", when used with respect to any Security to
be  redeemed,  means the price at which it is to be  redeemed  pursuant  to this
Indenture.

NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  "Reference Treasury Dealer" means each of Salomon Smith Barney
Inc., Merrill Lynch, Pierce,  Fenner & Smith Incorporated,  Donaldson,  Lufkin &
Jenrette  Securities  Corporation and Lehman Brothers Inc. and their  respective
successors;  provided, however, that if any of the foregoing shall cease to be a
Primary Treasury Dealer,  the Company shall substitute  therefor another Primary
Treasury Dealer.

                  "Reference  Treasury Dealer Quotations" means, with respect to
each  Reference  Treasury  Dealer  and any  Redemption  Date,  the  average,  as
determined  by the  Company,  of the bid and  asked  prices  for the  Comparable
Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal  amount)
quoted in writing to the Company by such Reference  Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m.
on the third business day preceding such Redemption Date.

                  "Registration  Agreement"  means  the  Registration  Agreement
between  the  Company  and the  Initial  Purchaser  named  therein,  dated as of
November 27, 1998, relating to the Securities.

                  "Registration Statement" means the Registration Statement as 
defined in the Registration Agreement.

                  "Regular Record Date" for the interest payable on any Interest
Payment  Date means the April 15 or October 15 (whether or not a Business  Day),
as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date.

                  "Regulation S" means Regulation S under the Securities Act.

                  "Regulation S Global Security" has the meaning specified in 
Section 303.

                  "Related Person" of any Person means any other Person directly
or  indirectly  owning  (a)5% or more of the  outstanding  Common  Stock of such
Person (or, in the case of a Person that is not a Corporation, 5% or more of the
outstanding  equity  interest in such  Person) or (b)5% or more of the  combined
outstanding voting power of the Voting Stock of such Person.

                  "Responsible Officer",  when used with respect to the Trustee,
means any officer  within the Trustee's  Corporate  Trust Office,  including any
vice president,  the Managing Director, the secretary,  any assistant secretary,
any  assistant  treasurer,  or any  other  officer  of the  Trustee  customarily
performing  functions similar to those performed by any of the  above-designated
officers,  and also means, with respect to a particular  corporate trust matter,
any other  officer to whom such matter is referred  because of his  knowledge of
and familiarity with the particular subject.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  "Restricted Payment" has the meaning specified in Section1013.

                  "Restricted  Subsidiary" means a Subsidiary of the Company, or
of a Restricted  Subsidiary  that is a Wholly Owned  Subsidiary  of the Company,
that has not been  designated by the Board of Directors  (by a Board  Resolution
delivered  to the  Trustee)  as an  Unrestricted  Subsidiary  pursuant to and in
compliance with Section1021.

                  "Restricted   Subsidiary   Guarantee"   means  a  supplemental
indenture to this Indenture,  in form  satisfactory to the Trustee,  executed in
accordance  with  Article  Nine,  providing  for an  unconditional  Guarantee of
payment in full of the  principal  of,  premium,  if any,  and  interest  on the
Securities. Any such Restricted Subsidiary Guarantee shall not be subordinate in
right  of  payment  to any  Debt  of the  Restricted  Subsidiary  providing  the
Restricted Subsidiary Guarantee.

                  "Revocation" has the meaning specified in Section1021.

                  "Rule 144A" means Rule 144A under the Securities Act.

                  "Rule 144A Global Security" has the meaning specified in 
Section 303.

                  "Sale  and  Leaseback  Transaction"  of any  Person  means  an
arrangement with any lender or investor or to which such lender or investor is a
party  providing for the leasing by such Person of any property or asset of such
Person which has been or is being sold or  transferred  by such Person more than
365 days after the  acquisition  thereof or the  completion of  construction  or
commencement of operation thereof to such lender or investor or to any Person to
whom funds have been or are to be  advanced  by such  lender or  investor on the
security of such  property  or asset.  The stated  maturity of such  arrangement
shall be the date of the last payment of rent or any other amount due under such
arrangement  prior to the first date on which such arrangement may be terminated
by the lessee without payment of a penalty.

                  "Securities"  means any of the  Securities,  as defined in the
recitals of this  Indenture,  that are  authenticated  and delivered  under this
Indenture.  For all purposes of this Indenture,  the "Securities"  shall include
the Initial  Securities  initially  issued on November 27, 1998 and any Exchange
Securities to be issued and exchanged for any Initial Securities pursuant to the
Registration  Agreement  and this  Indenture  and any other Notes  issued  after
November  27, 1998 under this  Indenture.  For purposes of this  Indenture,  all
Securities shall vote together as one series of Securities under this Indenture.

                  "Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  "Security Register" and "Security Registrar" have the 
respective meanings specified in Section305.

                  "Senior Note  Indentures"  means (i) the Indenture dated as of
March 31,  1997  between  the Company  and  Bankers  Trust  Company,  as trustee
thereunder,  relating to the Company's  107/8% Senior Notes Due 2007 (which were
subsequently  exchanged for the Company's 107/8% Series B Senior Notes Due 2007)
and the  Indenture  dated as of August 28,  1997,  pursuant to which such 107/8%
Series B Senior  Notes  Due 2007 were  issued,  (ii) the  Indenture  dated as of
October 15, 1997  between the  Company  and Bankers  Trust  Company,  as trustee
thereunder,  relating to the Company's  9.47% Series B Senior Discount Notes Due
2007,  (iii) the Indenture  dated as of January 28, 1998 between the Company and
Bankers Trust  Company,  as trustee  thereunder,  relating to the Companys 8.29%
Series B Senior  Discount  Notes  Due  2008 and (iv) the  Indenture  dated as of
November 4, 1998  between the Company  and  Bankers  Trust  Company,  as trustee
thereunder, relating to the Companys 7.50% Senior Notes Due 2008.

                  "Shelf Registration Statement" means the Shelf Registration 
Statement as defined in the Registration Agreement.

                  "Special  Record  Date"  for  the  payment  of  any  Defaulted
Interest means a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section307.

                  "Stated  Maturity",  when used with respect to any Security or
any installment of interest  thereon,  means the date specified in such Security
as the  fixed  date on which  the  principal  amount  of such  Security  or such
installment of interest is due and payable.

                  "Strategic Investor" means a Corporation, partnership or other
entity engaged in one or more Telecommunications  Businesses that has, or 80% or
more of the  Voting  Stock of which is owned by a Person  that  has,  an  equity
market  capitalization,  at the time of its initial Investment in the Company or
in a Permitted Joint Venture with the Company, in excess of $2 billion.

                  "Subordinated  Debt" means Debt of the Company as to which the
payment of principal  of (and  premium,  if any) and interest and other  payment
obligations in respect of such Debt shall be subordinate to the prior payment in
full of the  Securities  to at least the  following  extent:  (i)no  payments of
principal of (or premium,  if any) or interest on or otherwise due in respect of
such  Debt  may be  permitted  for so  long as any  default  in the  payment  of
principal of (or premium,  if any) or interest on the Securities exists;  (ii)in
the event that any other  Default  exists with respect to the  Securities,  upon
notice by 25% or more in principal amount of the Securities, to the Trustee, the
Trustee  shall have the right to give  notice to the  Company and the holders of
such Debt (or trustees or agents therefor) of a

NYDOCS01/571795 3







payment  blockage,  and  thereafter no payments of principal of (or premium,  if
any) or interest on or  otherwise  due in respect of such Debt may be made for a
period of 179 days from the date of such notice; and (iii) such Debt may not (x)
provide for payments of principal of such Debt at the stated maturity thereof or
by  way of a  sinking  fund  applicable  thereto  or by  way  of  any  mandatory
redemption,   defeasance,  retirement  or  repurchase  thereof  by  the  Company
(including any  redemption,  retirement or repurchase  which is contingent  upon
events or  circumstances  but  excluding  any  retirement  required by virtue of
acceleration  of such Debt upon an event of  default  thereunder),  in each case
prior to the final Stated Maturity of the Securities or (y) permit redemption or
other  retirement  (including  pursuant  to an  offer  to  purchase  made by the
Company)  of such other Debt at the  option of the holder  thereof  prior to the
final  Stated  Maturity  of the  Securities,  other than a  redemption  or other
retirement  at the option of the holder of such Debt  (including  pursuant to an
offer to purchase  made by the Company)  which is  conditioned  upon a change of
control of the Company  pursuant to  provisions  substantially  similar to those
described in  Section1010  (and which shall  provide that such Debt shall not be
repurchased pursuant to such provisions prior to the Company's repurchase of the
Securities  required to be repurchased by the Company pursuant to the provisions
of Section1010).

                  "Subsidiary"  of any Person means (i) a Corporation  more than
50% of the  combined  voting power of the  outstanding  Voting Stock of which is
owned,  directly  or  indirectly,  by  such  Person  or by  one  or  more  other
Subsidiaries  of such  Person  or by such  Person  and one or more  Subsidiaries
thereof  or (ii) any other  Person  (other  than a  Corporation)  in which  such
Person, or one or more other  Subsidiaries of such Person or such Person and one
or more other  Subsidiaries  thereof,  directly  or  indirectly,  has at least a
majority  ownership  and power to direct the  policies,  management  and affairs
thereof.

                  "Suspended Covenants" has the meaning specified in Section 
1025.

                  "Suspension Period" has the meaning specified in Section 1025.

                  "Telecommunications   Assets"   means   all   assets,   rights
(contractual or otherwise) and properties,  whether tangible or intangible, used
or intended for use in connection with a Telecommunications Business.

                  "Telecommunications   Business"  means  the  business  of  (i)
transmitting, or providing services relating to the transmission of, voice, data
or video  through  owned or leased  transmission  facilities,  (ii)constructing,
creating,  developing or marketing  communications  related  network  equipment,
software  and  other  devices  for  use  in  a  telecommunications  business  or
(iii)evaluating,  participating  or pursuing any other  activity or  opportunity
that is primarily  related to those  identified  in (i) or (ii) above,  provided
that the determination of what

NYDOCS01/571795 3







constitutes a Telecommunications Business shall be made in good faith by the 
Board of Directors.

                  "Treasury  Rate" means,  with respect to any Redemption  Date,
the rate per annum equal to the semiannual  equivalent  yield to maturity of the
Comparable  Treasury Issue,  assuming a price for the Comparable  Treasury Issue
(expressed  as a percentage of its  principal  amount)  equal to the  Comparable
Treasury Price for such Redemption Date.

                  "Trust  Indenture Act" or "TIA" means the Trust  Indenture Act
of 1939 as in force at the date as of which this Indenture was executed,  except
as provided in Section905.

                  "Trustee" means the Person named as the "Trustee" in the first
paragraph of this  Indenture  until a successor  Trustee  shall have become such
pursuant  to  the  applicable  provisions  of  this  Indenture,  and  thereafter
"Trustee" shall mean such successor Trustee.

                  "Unrestricted  Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary of the Company
designated as such pursuant to and in compliance with Section1021.

                  "Vice President", when used with respect to the Company or the
Trustee,  means any vice  president,  whether or not designated by a number or a
word or words added before or after the title "vice president".

                  "Voting  Stock"  of any  Person  means  Capital  Stock of such
Person which  ordinarily  has voting  power for the  election of  directors  (or
persons performing  similar  functions) of such Person,  whether at all times or
only for so long as no  senior  class of  securities  has such  voting  power by
reason of any contingency.

                  "Wholly Owned  Subsidiary" of any Person means a Subsidiary of
such Person all of the  outstanding  Voting Stock or other  ownership  interests
(other than directors' qualifying shares) of which shall at the time be owned by
such Person or by one or more  Wholly  Owned  Subsidiaries  of such Person or by
such Person and one or more Wholly Owned Subsidiaries of such Person.

                  SECTION 102.  Compliance Certificates and Opinions.

                  Upon any  application or request by the Company to the Trustee
to take any action under any  provision  of this  Indenture,  the Company  shall
furnish to the Trustee an  Officers'  Certificate  stating  that all  conditions
precedent,  if any,  provided  for in this  Indenture  (including  any  covenant
compliance  with  which  constitutes  a  condition  precedent)  relating  to the
proposed  action have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel  stating that
in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent,  if any, have been
complied with, except

NYDOCS01/571795 3







that in the case of any such  application  or request as to which the furnishing
of such  documents is  specifically  required by any provision of this Indenture
relating to such particular application or request, no additional certificate or
opinion need be furnished.

                  Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a
condition or covenant  provided for in this  Indenture  (other than  pursuant to
Section1009(a))shall include:

                  (1) a statement that each individual  signing such certificate
         or opinion has read such  covenant  or  condition  and the  definitions
         herein relating thereto;

                  (2) a  brief  statement  as to the  nature  and  scope  of the
         examination  or  investigation  upon which the  statements  or opinions
         contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

                  (3) a statement that, in the opinion of each such  individual,
         he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable
         him to express an informed  opinion as to whether or not such  covenant
         or condition has been complied with; and

                  (4) a  statement  as to  whether,  in the opinion of each such
         individual, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

                  SECTION 103.  Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.

                  In any case where several matters are required to be certified
by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified  Person, it is not necessary that
all such  matters be  certified  by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such
Person,  or that they be so certified or covered by only one  document,  but one
such Person may certify or give an opinion  with respect to some matters and one
or more other such Persons as to other matters,  and any such Person may certify
or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.

                  Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be
based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of,
or representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of
reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or  representations
with respect to the matters upon which his  certificate  or opinion is based are
erroneous.  Any such certificate or Opinion of Counsel may be based,  insofar as
it  relates  to  factual   matters,   upon  a  certificate  or  opinion  of,  or
representations  by, an officer or  officers  of the  Company  stating  that the
information  with respect to such factual  matters is in the  possession  of the
Company, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should
know,  that the certificate or opinion or  representations  with respect to such
matters are erroneous.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  Where any Person is required  to make,  give or execute two or
more applications,  requests, consents,  certificates,  statements,  opinions or
other instruments under this Indenture,  they may, but need not, be consolidated
(with  proper  identification  of each  matter  covered  therein)  and  form one
instrument.

                  SECTION 104.  Acts of Holders.

                  (a) Any request,  demand,  authorization,  direction,  notice,
consent,  waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be given or taken
by Holders  may be  embodied  in and  evidenced  by one or more  instruments  of
substantially  similar  tenor signed by such Holders in person or by agents duly
appointed in writing;  and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided,  such
action shall become  effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered
to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required,  to the Company. Such
instrument  or  instruments  (and the  action  embodied  therein  and  evidenced
thereby) are herein  sometimes  referred to as the "Act" of the Holders  signing
such instrument or instruments.  Proof of execution of any such instrument or of
a writing  appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this
Indenture  and (subject to Section 601)  conclusive  in favor of the Trustee and
the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section.

                  (b) The fact and date of the  execution  by any  Person of any
such  instrument  or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such
execution or by a certificate of a notary public or other officer  authorized by
law to take  acknowledgments  of deeds,  certifying that the individual  signing
such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof. Where such
execution  is by a  signer  acting  in a  capacity  other  than  his  individual
capacity,  such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute  sufficient proof
of  authority.  The fact and date of the  execution  of any such  instrument  or
writing,  or the authority of the Person  executing the same, may also be proved
in any other manner that the Trustee deems sufficient.

                  (c) The principal amount and serial numbers of Securities held
by any Person, and the date of holding the same, shall be proved by the Security
Register.

                  (d)  If  the  Company   shall  solicit  from  the  Holders  of
Securities  any request,  demand,  authorization,  direction,  notice,  consent,
waiver or other Act, the Company  may, at its option,  by or pursuant to a Board
Resolution,  fix in  advance  a record  date for the  determination  of  Holders
entitled  to  give  such  request,  demand,  authorization,  direction,  notice,
consent, waiver or other Act, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so.
Notwithstanding  TIA  Section316(c),  such  record date shall be the record date
specified  in or  pursuant to such Board  Resolution,  which shall be a date not
earlier  than  the date 30 days  prior  to the  first  solicitation  of  Holders
generally in connection  therewith and not later than the date such solicitation
is  completed.   If  such  a  record  date  is  fixed,  such  request,   demand,
authorization,  direction,  notice,  consent,  waiver  or other Act may be given
before or after such

NYDOCS01/571795 3







record  date,  but only the  Holders of record at the close of  business on such
record  date  shall be deemed to be  Holders  for the  purposes  of  determining
whether  Holders of the requisite  proportion  of  Outstanding  Securities  have
authorized  or agreed  or  consented  to such  request,  demand,  authorization,
direction,  notice,  consent,  waiver or other  Act,  and for that  purpose  the
Outstanding  Securities shall be computed as of such record date;  provided that
no such  authorization,  agreement or consent by the Holders on such record date
shall be deemed  effective  unless it shall  become  effective  pursuant  to the
provisions of this Indenture not later than eleven months after the record date.

                  (e) Any request,  demand,  authorization,  direction,  notice,
consent,  waiver or other Act of the  Holder of any  Security  shall  bind every
future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of every Security  issued upon
the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange  therefor or in lieu thereof
in respect of  anything  done,  omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee or
the Company in reliance thereon,  whether or not notation of such action is made
upon such Security.

                  SECTION 105.  Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company.

                  Any  request,  demand,   authorization,   direction,   notice,
consent,  waiver or Act of Holders or other  document  provided or  permitted by
this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with,

     (1) the Trustee by any Holder or by the  Company  shall be  sufficient  for
every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or filed in writing to or with
the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office, Attention: Corporate Market Services,
or

     (2) the Company by the  Trustee or by any Holder  shall be  sufficient  for
every purpose  hereunder  (unless  otherwise  herein  expressly  provided) if in
writing and mailed,  first-class postage prepaid, to the Company addressed to it
at the address of its principal  office specified in the first paragraph of this
Indenture,  or at any other  address  previously  furnished  in  writing  to the
Trustee by the Company.

                  SECTION 106.  Notice to Holders; Waiver.

                  Where  this  Indenture  provides  for  notice  of any event to
Holders by the Company or the Trustee,  such notice shall be sufficiently  given
(unless  otherwise  herein  expressly   provided)  if  in  writing  and  mailed,
first-class  postage  prepaid,  to each Holder  affected  by such event,  at the
address of such Holder as it appears in the  Security  Register,  not later than
the latest  date,  and not earlier than the earliest  date,  prescribed  for the
giving of such  notice.  In any case  where  notice to Holders is given by mail,
neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed,
to any particular Holder shall affect the

NYDOCS01/571795 3







sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders. Any notice mailed to a
Holder in the manner herein prescribed shall be conclusively deemed to have been
received by such  Holder,  whether or not such  Holder  actually  receives  such
notice.  Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such notice may
be waived in writing by the Person  entitled  to  receive  such  notice,  either
before or after the  event,  and such  waiver  shall be the  equivalent  of such
notice.  Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the Trustee,  but such
filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in
reliance upon such waiver.

                  In case by reason of the  suspension of or  irregularities  in
regular mail service or by reason of any other cause, it shall be  impracticable
to mail notice of any event to Holders  when such notice is required to be given
pursuant  to any  provision  of this  Indenture,  then any manner of giving such
notice  as  shall  be  satisfactory  to the  Trustee  shall  be  deemed  to be a
sufficient giving of such notice for every purpose hereunder.

                  SECTION 107.  Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.

                  The  Article  and  Section  headings  herein  and the Table of
Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

                  SECTION 108.  Successors and Assigns.

                  All covenants and  agreements in this Indenture by the Company
shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.

                  SECTION 109.  Separability Clause.

                  In case any provision in this  Indenture or in the  Securities
shall  be  invalid,  illegal  or  unenforceable,   the  validity,  legality  and
enforceability  of the remaining  provisions shall not in any way be affected or
impaired thereby.

                  SECTION 110.  Benefits of Indenture.

                  Nothing in this  Indenture  or in the  Securities,  express or
implied,  shall give to any Person,  other than the parties  hereto,  any Paying
Agent, any Security Registrar and their successors hereunder and the Holders any
legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  SECTION 111.  Governing Law.

                  This  Indenture  and the  Securities  shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the law of the State of NewYork.

                  SECTION 112.  Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.

                  Prior  to the  issuance  of  the  Exchange  Securities  or the
effectiveness of the Shelf Registration Statement, the Trust Indenture Act shall
apply as a matter of contract to this Indenture for purposes of  interpretation,
construction  and  defining  the  rights  and  obligations  hereunder.  Upon the
issuance  of  the  Exchange   Securities  or  the  effectiveness  of  the  Shelf
Registration Statement, this Indenture shall be subject to the provisions of the
Trust Indenture Act that are required to be part of this Indenture and shall, to
the extent applicable,  be governed by such provisions.  If any provision hereof
limits,  qualifies or conflicts with any provision of the Trust Indenture Act or
another  provision  which is required or deemed to be included in this Indenture
by any  of the  provisions  of  the  Trust  Indenture  Act,  such  provision  or
requirement of the Trust Indenture Act shall control.

                  If any  provision of this  Indenture  modifies or excludes any
provision of the Trust  Indenture  Act that may be so modified or excluded,  the
latter  provision  shall be deemed to apply to this  Indenture as so modified or
excluded, as the case may be.

                  SECTION 113.  Legal Holidays.

                  In any case where any Interest Payment Date,  Redemption Date,
or Stated Maturity or Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day, then
(notwithstanding  any other  provision of this  Indenture or of the  Securities)
payment of  principal of (or  premium,  if any) or interest  need not be made on
such date,  but may be made on the next  succeeding  Business  Day with the same
force and effect as if made on the Interest  Payment Date or Redemption  Date or
at the Stated  Maturity or Maturity;  provided that no interest shall accrue for
the period from and after such Interest Payment Date,  Redemption  Date,  Stated
Maturity or Maturity, as the case may be.

                  SECTION 114.  No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, 
Employees and Stockholders.

                  No director, officer, employee, incorporator or stockholder of
the  Company,  as such,  shall have any  liability  for any  obligations  of the
Company  under the  Securities  or this  Indenture or for any claim based on, in
respect  of, or by reason of,  such  obligations  or their  creation,  solely by
reason  of  its  status  as  a  director,  officer,  employee,  incorporator  or
stockholder  of the  Company.  By accepting a Security,  each Holder  waives and
releases all

NYDOCS01/571795 3







such liability (but only such liability).  The waiver and release are part of 
the consideration for issuance of the Securities.

                  SECTION 115.  Independence of Covenants.

                  All covenants and agreements in this Indenture  shall be given
independent  effect so that if a particular action or condition is not permitted
by any of such  covenants,  the fact that it would be  permitted by an exception
to, or be otherwise  within the limitations of, another covenant shall not avoid
the occurrence of a Default if such action is taken or condition exists.

                  SECTION 116.  Exhibits.

                  All exhibits attached hereto are by this reference made a part
hereof with the same effect as if herein set forth in full.

                  SECTION 117.  Counterparts.

                  This Indenture may be executed in any number of  counterparts,
each of  which  shall  be an  original;  but such  counterparts  shall  together
constitute but one and the same instrument.

                  SECTION 118.  Duplicate Originals.

                  The parties  may sign any number of copies of this  Indenture.
Each signed copy shall be an original,  but all of them  together  represent the
same agreement.


                                   ARTICLE TWO

                                 SECURITY FORMS

                  SECTION 201.  Forms Generally.

                  The Securities and the Trustee's certificate of authentication
with respect thereto shall be in  substantially  the form set forth in Exhibit A
hereto,  with such appropriate  insertions,  omissions,  substitutions and other
variations  as are required or permitted  by this  Indenture,  and may have such
letters,   numbers  or  other  marks  of  identification  and  such  legends  or
endorsements  placed  thereon as may be required to comply with the rules of any
securities  exchange or system on which the Securities may be listed or eligible
for trading or as may,  consistently  herewith,  be  determined  by the officers
executing such  Securities,  as evidenced by their  execution of the Securities.
Any portion of the text of any Security may be

NYDOCS01/571795 3







set forth on the reverse thereof, with an appropriate reference thereto on the 
face of the Security.

                  The definitive  Securities  shall be printed,  lithographed or
engraved  on  steel-engraved  borders  or may be  produced  in any other  manner
permitted  by the  rules of any  securities  exchange  or  system  on which  the
Securities  may be listed or eligible  for  trading,  all as  determined  by the
officers  of the  Company  executing  such  Securities,  as  evidenced  by their
execution of such Securities.


                                  ARTICLE THREE

                                 THE SECURITIES

                  SECTION 301.  Title and Terms.

                  The  aggregate  principal  amount of  Securities  which may be
authenticated  and delivered  under this  Indenture is limited to  $300,000,000,
except for Securities  authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer
of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities  pursuant to Section304,
305, 306, 906, 1010, 1018 or 1108.

                  The Initial  Securities  shall be known and  designated as the
"7.25% Senior Notes Due 2008" and the Exchange  Securities shall be known as the
"7.25% SeriesB Senior Notes".  The final Stated Maturity of the Securities shall
be November 1, 2008.  Interest on the Securities  will accrue at a rate of 7.25%
per annum  accruing  from  November  27, 1998 or from the most  recent  Interest
Payment Date to which cash interest has been paid or duly provided for, and will
be  payable  semiannually  in  arrears  on May 1 and  November  1 of each  year,
commencing  May 1, 1999, to the Holders of record on the  immediately  preceding
Regular  Record Date.  Interest  will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year
comprised of twelve 30-day months.

                  Principal of, premium,  if any, and interest on the Securities
will be payable,  and the  Securities  may be exchanged or  transferred,  at the
office or agency of the Company in The City of New York, which, unless otherwise
provided by the Company,  will be the offices of the  Trustee.  At the option of
the  Company,  interest  may be paid by check mailed to addresses of the Persons
entitled thereto as such addresses shall appear on the Security Register.

                  The interest rate on the  Securities is subject to increase by
the addition of Liquidated Interest and otherwise,  all as set forth or referred
to in the text of the Securities appearing in ExhibitA hereto.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  The   Securities   shall  be   redeemable   as   provided   in
ArticleEleven.

                  At the  election  of  the  Company,  the  entire  Debt  on the
Securities  or certain of the  Company's  obligations  and covenants and certain
Events of Default thereunder may be defeased as provided in Article Twelve.

                  The  Securities  will be senior  unsecured  obligations of the
Company,  ranking  pari passu in right of payment  with all  existing and future
senior unsecured Debt of the Company,  and will be senior in right of payment to
all existing and future Subordinated Debt of the Company.

                  SECTION 302.  Denominations.

                  The  Securities  will be issued  without  coupons and in fully
registered form only, in minimum  denominations  of $1,000  principal amount and
integral multiples thereof.

                  SECTION 303.  Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.

                  The  Securities  shall be executed on behalf of the Company by
its  Chief  Executive  Officer,  its  President  or a Vice  President  under its
corporate seal reproduced thereon. The signature of any of these officers on the
Securities  may be manual or facsimile  signatures  of the present or any future
such  authorized  officer and may be imprinted or  otherwise  reproduced  on the
Securities.  The seal of the Company  may be in the form of a facsimile  thereof
and  may  be  impressed,  affixed,  imprinted  or  otherwise  reproduced  on the
Securities.

                  Securities  bearing  the  manual or  facsimile  signatures  of
individuals  who were at any time the proper  officers of the Company shall bind
the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to
hold such offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or
did not hold such  offices  at the date of such  Securities.  In  addition,  any
Security  may be  signed on behalf of the  Company  by such  Persons  as, at the
actual date of the execution of such Security,  shall be the proper  officers of
the Company,  although at the date of such  Security or of the execution of this
Indenture any such Person was not such officer.

                  At any time and from  time to time  after  the  execution  and
delivery of this Indenture,  the Company may deliver Securities  executed by the
Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a Company Order for the
authentication  and delivery of such  Securities,  and the Trustee in accordance
with such Company Order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.

                  No  Security  shall be  entitled  to any  benefit  under  this
Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such
Security a certificate of authentication  substantially in the form provided for
herein  duly  executed  by the  Trustee  by manual  signature  of an  authorized
signatory,  and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence,
and the only  evidence,  that  such  Security  has been duly  authenticated  and
delivered hereunder and is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.

                  The Trustee shall  authenticate  Securities for original issue
in an aggregate  principal amount not to exceed  $300,000,000  upon receipt of a
Company Order, which shall specify the amount of Securities to be authenticated,
the names of the Persons in which such  Securities  shall be registered  and the
date on which such Securities are to be authenticated  and direct the Trustee to
authenticate such Securities together with an Officers'  Certificate  certifying
that all  conditions  precedent  to the  issuance of such  Securities  contained
herein have been complied  with.  The aggregate  principal  amount of Securities
Outstanding  at any time shall not exceed  $300,000,000,  except as  provided in
Section 304.

                  Except as described  below,  the Securities  will be deposited
with, or on behalf of, the Depository,  and registered in the name of Cede & Co.
as  the   Depository's   nominee  in  the  form  of  one  or  more  global  note
certificate(s) substantially in the form of Exhibit A (each, a "Rule 144A Global
Security"),  for credit to the respective  accounts of the beneficial  owners of
the Securities represented thereby.

                  Securities  purchased  by Persons  outside  the United  States
pursuant to sales in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act shall
be deposited with, or on behalf of, the  Depository,  and registered in the name
of Cede & Co. as the Depository's nominee in the form of one or more global note
certificates  substantially  in the form of  Exhibit A (each,  a  "Regulation  S
Global  Security"),  for credit to the  respective  accounts  of the  beneficial
owners of the Securities represented thereby (or such other accounts as they may
direct),  provided that upon such deposit all such Securities  shall be credited
to or  through  accounts  maintained  at the  Depository  by or on behalf of the
Euroclear  System or Cedel Bank,  socit  anonyme.  Securities  represented  by a
Regulation S Global  Security will not be exchangeable  for Physical  Securities
until the expiration of the "40-day  distribution  compliance period" within the
meaning of Rule 903(c)(3) of Regulation S under the Securities Act.

                  In case the  Company,  pursuant  to  Article  Eight,  shall be
consolidated or merged with or into any other Person or shall convey,  transfer,
lease or otherwise  dispose of its  properties  and assets  substantially  as an
entirety  to  any  Person,   and  the  successor   Person  resulting  from  such
consolidation,  or surviving  such merger,  or into which the Company shall have
been merged,  or the Person which shall have  received a  conveyance,  transfer,
lease or

NYDOCS01/571795 3







other  disposition as aforesaid,  shall have executed an indenture  supplemental
hereto  with the  Trustee  pursuant  to  Article  Eight,  any of the  Securities
authenticated  or delivered  prior to such  consolidation,  merger,  conveyance,
transfer,  lease or other  disposition may, from time to time, at the request of
the successor Person, be exchanged for other Securities  executed in the name of
the  successor  Person  with  such  changes  in  phraseology  and form as may be
appropriate,  but  otherwise  in  substance  of  like  tenor  as the  Securities
surrendered  for such exchange and of like  principal  amount;  and the Trustee,
upon Company Request of the successor  Person,  shall  authenticate  and deliver
Securities  as specified in such  request for the purpose of such  exchange.  If
Securities shall at any time be authenticated and delivered in any new name of a
successor  Person  pursuant to this Section in exchange or  substitution  for or
upon  registration of transfer of any Securities,  such successor Person, at the
option of the  Holders  but  without  expense  to them,  shall  provide  for the
exchange of all Securities at the time Outstanding for Securities  authenticated
and delivered in such new name.

                  SECTION 304.  Temporary Securities.

                  Pending the preparation of definitive Securities,  the Company
may execute,  and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver,
temporary Securities which are printed, lithographed,  typewritten, mimeographed
or otherwise  produced,  in any authorized  denomination,  substantially  of the
tenor of the  definitive  Securities  in lieu of which  they are issued and with
such appropriate  insertions,  omissions,  substitutions and other variations as
the officers executing such Securities may determine,  as conclusively evidenced
by their execution of such Securities.

                  If  temporary  Securities  are issued,  the Company will cause
definitive  Securities  to be prepared  without  unreasonable  delay.  After the
preparation  of  definitive  Securities,   the  temporary  Securities  shall  be
exchangeable   for  definitive   Securities  upon  surrender  of  the  temporary
Securities  at the office or agency of the Company  designated  for such purpose
pursuant to  Section1002,  without  charge to the  Holder.  Upon  surrender  for
cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities,  the Company shall execute
and the Trustee  shall  authenticate  and  deliver in  exchange  therefor a like
principal amount of definitive Securities of authorized denominations.  Until so
exchanged,  the  temporary  Securities  shall in all respects be entitled to the
same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities.

     SECTION 305. Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange.

     The Company  shall cause to be kept at the  Corporate  Trust  Office of the
Trustee a register  (the  register  maintained  in such  office and in any other
office or agency  designated  pursuant to  Section1002  being  herein  sometimes
referred to as the  "Security  Register") in which,  subject to such  reasonable
regulations as it may prescribe,  the Company shall provide for the registration
of Securities and of transfers and exchange of Securities. The Security

NYDOCS01/571795 3







Register  shall be in written form or any other form capable of being  converted
into  written  form within a  reasonable  time.  At all  reasonable  times,  the
Security  Register  shall be open to inspection  by the Trustee.  The Trustee is
hereby initially appointed as security registrar (the "Security  Registrar") for
the purpose of registering  Securities and transfers and exchanges of Securities
as herein provided.

                  Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security at
the office or agency of the  Company  designated  pursuant to  Section1002,  the
Company shall  execute,  the Trustee  shall  authenticate  and deliver,  and the
Security  Registrar shall register,  if the  requirements,  of such transfer are
met, in the name of the designated  transferee or  transferees,  one or more new
Securities of any authorized  denomination or  denominations of a like aggregate
principal amount.

                  At the option of the Holder,  Securities  may be exchanged for
other  Securities  of  any  authorized  denomination  and  of a  like  aggregate
principal  amount  (including  an exchange of Initial  Securities  for  Exchange
Securities),  upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at such office or
agency.  Whenever any Securities are so  surrendered  for exchange,  the Company
shall  execute,  the Trustee shall  authenticate  and deliver,  and the Security
Registrar shall register, the Securities which the Holder making the exchange is
entitled  to  receive,  provided  that no  exchange  of Initial  Securities  for
Exchange  Securities shall occur until an Exchange Offer Registration  Statement
shall have been declared effective by the Commission  (confirmed in an Officer's
Certificate)  and that the Initial  Securities  to be exchanged for the Exchange
Securities shall be cancelled by the Trustee.

                  All  Securities  issued upon any  registration  of transfer or
exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing
the same debt,  and entitled to the same benefits under this  Indenture,  as the
Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

                  Every Security  presented or surrendered  for  registration of
transfer or for  exchange  shall (if so required by the Company or the  Security
Registrar)  be duly  endorsed,  or be  accompanied  by a written  instrument  of
transfer,  in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar,  duly
executed by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.

                  No  service  charge  shall  be made  for any  registration  of
transfer or exchange or  redemption of  Securities,  but the Company may require
payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other  governmental  charge that
may be imposed in connection  with any  registration  of transfer or exchange of
Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Section304, 906, 1010, 1018 or 1108
not involving any transfer.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  The Company  shall not be required  (i)to issue,  register the
transfer of or exchange any Security during a period beginning at the opening of
business  15 days  before the  selection  of  Securities  to be  redeemed  under
Section1104  and ending at the close of business  on the day of such  mailing of
the relevant notice of redemption or (ii)to register the transfer of or exchange
any  Security  so  selected  for  redemption  in whole or in  part,  except  the
unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.

     SECTION 306. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.

                  If (i)any mutilated  Security is surrendered to the Trustee or
(ii)the  Company and the Trustee receive  evidence to their  satisfaction of the
destruction,  loss or theft of any  Security,  and  there  is  delivered  to the
Company and the Trustee such security or indemnity as may be required by them to
save each of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the
Trustee  that such  Security  has been  acquired by a bona fide  purchaser,  the
Company shall execute and upon Company Order the Trustee shall  authenticate and
deliver,  in  exchange  for any such  mutilated  Security or in lieu of any such
destroyed,  lost or stolen Security,  a new Security of like tenor and principal
amount, bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

                  In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security
has become or is about to become due and payable,  the Company in its discretion
may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.

                  Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section,  the
Company may require  the payment of a sum  sufficient  to cover any tax or other
governmental  charge  that may be  imposed  in  relation  thereto  and any other
expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

                  Every new Security  issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of
any mutilated,  destroyed,  lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original
additional contractual obligation of the Company,  whether or not the mutilated,
destroyed,  lost or stolen Security shall be at any time  enforceable by anyone,
and  shall  be  entitled  to  all  benefits  of  this   Indenture   equally  and
proportionately with any and all other Securities duly issued hereunder.

                  The  provisions  of  this  Section  are  exclusive  and  shall
preclude (to the extent  lawful) all other  rights and remedies  with respect to
the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  SECTION 307.  Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.

                  Interest on any Security  which is payable,  and is punctually
paid or duly  provided  for, on any  Interest  Payment Date shall be paid to the
Person in whose name such Security (or one or more  Predecessor  Securities)  is
registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest
at the office or agency of the Company  maintained for such purpose  pursuant to
Section1002;  provided,  however,  that each  installment of interest may at the
Company's option be paid (i) by mailing a check for such interest, payable to or
upon the written order of the Person entitled thereto pursuant to Section308, to
the address of such Person as it appears in the  Security  Register,  or (ii) by
wire  transfer of such  interest in  immediately  available  funds to an account
located in the United States maintained by the Depository.

                  Any  interest on any  Security  which is  payable,  but is not
punctually  paid or duly  provided  for,  on any  Interest  Payment  Date  shall
forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the Regular Record Date by virtue
of having  been such  Holder,  and such  defaulted  interest  and (to the extent
lawful) interest on such defaulted  interest at the rate borne by the Securities
(such  defaulted  interest  and  interest  thereon  herein  collectively  called
"Defaulted  Interest") may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case,
as provided in paragraph(1) or (2) below:

                  (1) The  Company  may elect to make  payment of any  Defaulted
         Interest  to the  Persons  in whose  names  the  Securities  (or  their
         respective  Predecessor  Securities)  are  registered  at the  close of
         business on a Special  Record  Date for the  payment of such  Defaulted
         Interest,  which shall be fixed in the  following  manner.  The Company
         shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest
         proposed  to be paid  on each  Security  and the  date of the  proposed
         payment,  and at the  same  time the  Company  shall  deposit  with the
         Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be
         paid in respect of such Defaulted  Interest or shall make  arrangements
         satisfactory  to the Trustee for such deposit  prior to the date of the
         proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the
         benefit of the Persons  entitled to such Defaulted  Interest as in this
         clause provided.  Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date
         for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than
         15 days and not  less  than 10 days  prior to the date of the  proposed
         payment  and not less than 10 days after the  receipt by the Trustee of
         the notice of the proposed  payment.  The Trustee shall promptly notify
         the Company of such  Special  Record  Date,  and in the name and at the
         expense of the Company,  shall cause notice of the proposed  payment of
         such  Defaulted  Interest  and the Special  Record Date  therefor to be
         given in the manner  provided for in Section106,  not less than 10 days
         prior to such Special  Record Date.  Notice of the proposed  payment of
         such  Defaulted  Interest and the Special  Record Date therefor  having
         been so given, such Defaulted Interest shall be

NYDOCS01/571795 3







         paid to the Persons in whose names the Securities (or their  respective
         Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on such
         Special  Record  Date and shall no longer be  payable  pursuant  to the
         following paragraph(2).

                  (2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted  Interest in
         any other lawful manner not  inconsistent  with the requirements of any
         securities  exchange or system on which the Securities may be listed or
         eligible for  trading,  and upon such notice as may be required by such
         exchange  or  system,  if,  after  notice  given by the  Company to the
         Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of
         payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.

                  Subject to the  foregoing  provisions  of this  Section,  each
Security  delivered under this Indenture upon  registration of transfer of or in
exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest
accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.

                  SECTION 308.  Persons Deemed Owners.

                  Prior to the due presentment of a Security for registration of
transfer,  the Company,  the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee
may treat the Person in whose name such  Security is  registered as the owner of
such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of (and premium,
if any) and (subject to  Sections305  and 307) interest on such Security and for
all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and none
of the Company,  the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be
affected by notice to the contrary.

                  SECTION 309.  Cancellation.

                  All   Securities   surrendered   for   payment,    redemption,
registration  of transfer or exchange  shall, if surrendered to any Person other
than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee and shall be promptly cancelled by
it. The Company may at any time  deliver to the  Trustee  for  cancellation  any
Securities  previously  authenticated and delivered  hereunder which the Company
may have acquired in any manner  whatsoever,  and may deliver to the Trustee (or
to any other Person for delivery to the Trustee) for cancellation any Securities
previously  authenticated  hereunder  which the Company has not issued and sold,
and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly  cancelled by the Trustee.  If
the Company shall so acquire any of the Securities,  however,  such  acquisition
shall  not  operate  as  a  redemption  or  satisfaction  of  the   indebtedness
represented by such Securities  unless and until the same are surrendered to the
Trustee for cancellation.  No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in
exchange for any  Securities  cancelled as provided in this  Section,  except as
expressly  permitted by this  Indenture.  All cancelled  Securities  held by the
Trustee shall be disposed of by the Trustee in

NYDOCS01/571795 3







accordance  with its customary  procedures and  certification  of their disposal
delivered to the Company  unless by Company  Order the Company shall direct that
cancelled Securities be returned to it.

                  SECTION 310.  Computation of Interest.

                  Interest on the Securities shall be computed on the basis of a
360-day year comprised of twelve 30-day months.

                  SECTION 311.  CUSIP Number.

                  The Company in issuing the Securities may use a "CUSIP" number
(if then  generally in use), and if so, the Trustee may use the CUSIP numbers in
notices of  redemption  or  exchange  as a  convenience  to  Holders;  provided,
however, that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the
correctness  or  accuracy  of the CUSIP  number  printed in the notice or on the
Securities,  and that  reliance  may be placed only on the other  identification
numbers printed on the Securities. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee
in writing of any change in the CUSIP number of the Securities.

                  SECTION 312.  Book-Entry Provisions for Global Securities.

                  (a) The Global Securities initially shall (i) be registered in
the name of the Depository or the nominee of such Depository,  (ii) be delivered
to the Trustee as custodian  for such  Depository  and (iii) bear legends as set
forth in Exhibit A.

                  Members  of,  or  participants  in,  the  Depository   ("Agent
Members")  shall have no rights under this  Indenture with respect to any Global
Security  held  on  their  behalf  by  the  Depository,  or the  Trustee  as its
custodian,  or under the Global  Security,  and the Depository may be treated by
the  Company,  the  Trustee  and any agent of the  Company or the Trustee as the
absolute   owner  of  the  Global   Security   for  all   purposes   whatsoever.
Notwithstanding  the foregoing,  nothing  herein shall prevent the Company,  the
Trustee or any agent of the  Company or the Trustee  from  giving  effect to any
written certification,  proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depository
or impair,  as between the Depository  and its Agent  Members,  the operation of
customary  practices  governing the exercise of the rights of a beneficial owner
of any Security.

                  (b)  Transfers  of  Global  Securities  shall  be  limited  to
transfers in whole, but not in part, to the Depository,  its successors or their
respective  nominees.  Interests  of  beneficial  owners in a Rule  144A  Global
Security may be  transferred or exchanged for interests in a Regulation S Global
Security,  and interests of beneficial  owners in a Regulation S Global Security
may be transferred or exchanged for interests in a Rule 144A Global Security,

NYDOCS01/571795 3







in each case in accordance  with the rules and  procedures of the Depository and
the  provisions  of Section  313.  In  addition,  Physical  Securities  shall be
transferred to all beneficial owners in exchange for their beneficial  interests
in a Global  Security  if (i)the  Depository  notifies  the  Company  that it is
unwilling or unable to continue as a depository  for such Global  Security or if
at any time the Depository  ceases to be a clearing agency  registered under the
Exchange Act, and a successor  depository is not appointed by the Company within
90 days, (ii)the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee a notice that such
Global Security shall be so transferable, registrable and exchangeable, and such
transfer  shall  be  registrable,  or  (iii)there  shall  have  occurred  and be
continuing  a  Default  or Event  of  Default  with  respect  to the  Securities
represented by such Global Security.

                  (c) In connection with the transfer of Global Securities as an
entirety to beneficial  owners pursuant to paragraph (b), the Global  Securities
shall be deemed to be  surrendered  to the  Trustee  for  cancellation,  and the
Company shall execute,  and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver,  to each
beneficial  owner  identified by the  Depository in exchange for its  beneficial
interest  in the  Global  Securities,  an equal  aggregate  principal  amount of
Physical Securities of like tenor of authorized denominations.

                  (d)  Any  Physical  Security  delivered  in  exchange  for  an
interest in a Global  Security  pursuant to  paragraph  (c) of this  Section 312
shall,  except as otherwise  provided by (b)(1)(x)  and paragraph (d) of Section
313, bear the legend regarding transfer restrictions  applicable to the Physical
Securities set forth in Exhibit A.

                  (e) The Holder of any Global  Security  may grant  proxies and
otherwise  authorize  any person,  including  Agent Members and persons that may
hold  interests  through  Agent  Members,  to take any action  which a Holder is
entitled to take under this Indenture or the Securities.

                  SECTION 313.  Special Transfer Provisions.

     (a)  Transfers to Non-QIB  Institutional  Accredited  Investors.  Except as
provided in paragraph (d) of this Section 313, the Initial  Securities shall not
be transferred to any Person that is not a QIB or a non-U.S. Person.

     (b) Transfers to Non-U.S.  Persons.  The following  provisions  shall apply
with respect to the registration of any proposed transfer of an Initial Security
to any non-U.S. Person:

                  (1) the Security  Registrar shall register the transfer of any
         Initial Security if (x) the requested transfer is not prior to the date
         which is two years (or such shorter period as may be prescribed by Rule
         144(k) under the Securities Act or any successor

NYDOCS01/571795 3







         provision  thereunder)  after the later of the  original  issue date of
         such Initial Security (or of any Predecessor  Security) or the last day
         on which the Company or any  Affiliate  of the Company was the owner of
         such Initial  Security or any Predecessor  Security or (y) the proposed
         transferee  has  delivered  to the  Security  Registrar  a  certificate
         substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto; and

                  (2) the Security  Registrar shall register the transfer of any
         Initial Security if the proposed  transferor is an Agent Member holding
         a beneficial  interest in a Rule 144A Global Security,  upon receipt by
         the Security  Registrar  of (x) the  certificate,  if any,  required by
         paragraph (1) above and (y)  instructions  given in accordance with the
         Depository's and the Security Registrar's procedures;

whereupon the Security Registrar shall reflect on its books and records the date
of such  transfer  and (A)(if the  transfer  involves a transfer of a beneficial
interest in a Rule 144A Global  Security) a decrease in the principal  amount of
such Rule 144A Global Security in an amount equal to the principal  amount to be
transferred and (B) an increase in the principal amount of a Regulation S Global
Security in an amount equal to the principal amount to be transferred.

                  (c)  Private  Placement  Legend.   Upon  the  registration  of
transfer,  exchange or replacement of Initial Securities, the Security Registrar
shall deliver only Initial  Securities  that bear the Private  Placement  Legend
unless  (i) (x) the  circumstances  contemplated  by  clause  (b)(1)(x)  of this
Section 313 exist or (y) such  Security  has been sold  pursuant to an effective
registration  statement  under the Securities Act and (ii) there is delivered to
the  Security  Registrar  and the  Trustee  an  Opinion  of  Counsel  reasonably
satisfactory  to the Company and the  Trustee to the effect  that  neither  such
legend  nor the  related  restrictions  on  transfer  are  required  in order to
maintain compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act.

                  (d) Other  Transfers.  If a Holder  proposes  to  transfer  an
Initial Security pursuant to any exemption from the registration requirements of
the Securities Act other than as provided for by Section 313(a) and 313(b),  the
Security  Registrar  shall only  register  such  transfer  or  exchange  if such
transferor  delivers  to the  Security  Registrar  and the Trustee an Opinion of
Counsel  satisfactory  to the  Company  and the  Security  Registrar  that  such
transfer  is in  compliance  with  the  Securities  Act  and the  terms  of this
Indenture; provided that the Company may, based upon the opinion of its counsel,
instruct the Security Registrar by a Company Order not to register such transfer
in any case where the proposed transferee is not a QIB or a non-U.S. Person.

     (e)  General.  By  its  acceptance  of any  Security  bearing  the  Private
Placement Legend,  each Holder of such a Security  acknowledges the restrictions
on transfer of

NYDOCS01/571795 3







such Security set forth in this  Indenture and in the Private  Placement  Legend
and  agrees  that it will  transfer  such  Security  only  as  provided  in this
Indenture.

                  The Security  Registrar  shall  retain  copies of all letters,
notices and other  written  communications  received  pursuant to Section 312 or
this  Section  313 for a period of two years,  after  which  time such  letters,
notices and other  written  communications  shall at the written  request of the
Company be delivered to the Company. The Company shall have the right to inspect
and make copies of all such letters,  notices or other written communications at
any  reasonable  time upon the giving of reasonable  prior written notice to the
Security Registrar.


                                  ARTICLE FOUR

                           SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

                  SECTION 401.  Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.

                  This  Indenture  shall  upon  Company  Request  cease to be of
further effect  (except as to surviving  rights of  registration  of transfer or
exchange of Securities expressly provided for herein or pursuant hereto) and the
Trustee,  at the  expense  of the  Company,  shall  execute  proper  instruments
acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture when

     (1) either

     (a) all  Securities  theretofore  authenticated  and delivered  (other than
(i)Securities  which  have been  destroyed,  lost or stolen  and which have been
replaced or paid as provided in Section306 and  (ii)Securities for whose payment
money has  theretofore  been  deposited  in trust with the Trustee or any Paying
Agent or segregated  and held in trust by the Company and  thereafter  repaid to
the Company or discharged from such trust as provided in Section1003)  have been
delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

     (b) all such  Securities  not  theretofore  delivered  to the  Trustee  for
cancellation

     (i) have become due and payable, or

     (ii) will become due and payable at their Stated  Maturity within one year,
or


NYDOCS01/571795 3







     (iii) are to be called for  redemption  within  one year under  irrevocable
arrangements  satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption
by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company,

     and the Company,  in the case of (i), (ii) or (iii) above,  has irrevocably
deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for
such purpose an amount  sufficient to pay and discharge the entire  indebtedness
on such  Securities not theretofore  delivered to the Trustee for  cancellation,
for principal (and premium, if any) and interest to the date of such deposit (in
the case of  Securities  which  have  become due and  payable)  or to the Stated
Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be;

     (2) the  Company  has paid or  caused  to be paid all  other  sums  payable
hereunder by the Company; and

     (3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers'  Certificate  and
an Opinion  of  Counsel,  each  stating  that all  conditions  precedent  herein
provided for relating to the  satisfaction  and discharge of this Indenture have
been complied with.

                  Notwithstanding   the   satisfaction  and  discharge  of  this
Indenture,  the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under  Section607 and,
if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee  pursuant to clause(1)(b) of
this Section 401, the  obligations of the Trustee under  Section402 and the last
paragraph of Section1003 shall survive.

                  SECTION 402.  Application of Trust Money.

                  Subject  to  the   provisions   of  the  last   paragraph   of
Section1003,  all money deposited with the Trustee  pursuant to Section401 shall
be held in trust and applied by it, in  accordance  with the  provisions  of the
Securities and this  Indenture,  to the payment,  either directly or through any
Paying  Agent  (including  the  Company  acting as its own Paying  Agent) as the
Trustee may determine,  to the Persons entitled  thereto,  of the principal (and
premium,  if any) and interest for whose  payment such money has been  deposited
with the Trustee;  but such money need not be segregated from other funds except
to the extent required by law.



NYDOCS01/571795 3







                                  ARTICLE FIVE

                                    REMEDIES

                  SECTION 501.  Events of Default.

                  "Event of Default", wherever used herein, means any one of the
following  events  (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it
shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant
to any judgment,  decree or order of any court or any order,  rule or regulation
of any administrative or governmental body):

     (1) default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any
Security at its Maturity; or

     (2) default in the payment of any interest on any Security  when it becomes
due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days; or

     (3)  default in the  payment of  principal  and  interest  on any  Security
required to be  purchased  pursuant to an Offer to Purchase  pursuant to Section
1010 or 1018; or

     (4) default in the performance, or breach, of Section801 or 1018; or

     (5) default in the performance,  or breach,  of any covenant or warranty of
the  Company in this  Indenture  or in any  Security  (other  than a covenant or
warranty a default in whose  performance  or whose  breach is  elsewhere in this
Section  specifically dealt with), and continuance of such default or breach for
a period of 60days after there has been given,  by registered or certified mail,
to the  Company by the  Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders
of at least 25% in aggregate  principal  amount of the Outstanding  Securities a
written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied
and stating that such notice is a "Notice of Default" hereunder; or

     (6) a default or defaults under any bond(s), debenture(s), note(s) or other
evidence(s) of indebtedness by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or under
any mortgage(s),  indenture(s) or instrument(s)  under which there may be issued
or by which there may be secured or evidenced any  indebtedness  of such type by
the  Company or any such  Restricted  Subsidiary  with a  principal  amount then
outstanding,  individually or in the aggregate, in excess of $10million, whether
such  indebtedness  now exists or shall  hereafter be created,  which default or
defaults shall result in the acceleration of the payment of such indebtedness or
shall constitute a failure to pay the principal of such indebtedness when due at
the final maturity thereof, or shall have resulted in

NYDOCS01/571795 3







     excess of $10 million of  indebtedness  becoming or being  declared due and
payable  prior  to the date on which it  would  otherwise  have  become  due and
payable (after expiration of any applicable grace period); or

     (7) a final  judgment  or final  judgments  for the  payment  of money  are
entered against the Company or any Restricted  Subsidiary in an aggregate amount
in excess of  $10million by a court or courts of competent  jurisdiction,  which
judgment or judgments remain undischarged or unbonded for a period (during which
execution shall not be effectively stayed) of 45days after the date on which the
right to appeal all such judgments has expired; or

     (8) the entry of a decree or order by a court  having  jurisdiction  in the
premises  adjudging  the  Company or any  Restricted  Subsidiary  a bankrupt  or
insolvent,  or approving as properly  filed a petition  seeking  reorganization,
arrangement,  adjustment or  composition  of or in respect of the Company or any
Restricted  Subsidiary under the Federal Bankruptcy Code or any other applicable
federal or state law, or appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee or
sequestrator  (or other  similar  official)  of the  Company  or any  Restricted
Subsidiary or of any substantial  part of its property,  or ordering the winding
up or  liquidation  of its affairs,  and the  continuance  of any such decree or
order unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days; or

     (9)  the  institution  by the  Company  or  any  Restricted  Subsidiary  of
proceedings to be  adjudicated a bankrupt or insolvent,  or the consent by it to
the  institution  of  bankruptcy or  insolvency  proceedings  against it, or the
filing by it of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief
under the Federal  Bankruptcy Code or any other applicable federal or state law,
or the consent by it to the filing of any such petition or to the appointment of
a receiver,  liquidator,  assignee,  trustee or  sequestrator  (or other similar
official) of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or of any substantial part
of its  property,  or the  making  by it of an  assignment  for the  benefit  of
creditors,  or the  admission by it in writing of its inability to pay its debts
generally as they become due.

     SECTION 502. Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.

     If an Event  of  Default  (other  than an Event  of  Default  specified  in
Section501(8) or (9)) occurs and is continuing,  then and in every such case the
Trustee  or the  Holders  of  not  less  than  25% in  principal  amount  of the
Outstanding Securities may declare the principal of all the Securities to be due
and  payable  immediately  by a notice in  writing  to the  Company  (and to the
Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal shall
become  immediately  due and  payable.  If an  Event  of  Default  specified  in
Section501(8)  or (9) occurs and is  continuing,  then the  principal of all the
Securities shall ipso

NYDOCS01/571795 3







facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other
act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder.

     At any time after a declaration of acceleration  has been made and before a
judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee
as  hereinafter  provided  in this  Article  Five,  the Holders of a majority in
principal amount of the Outstanding Securities, by written notice to the Company
and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if

     (1) the Company has paid or deposited  with the Trustee a sum sufficient to
pay

     (A) all overdue interest on all Outstanding Securities,

     (B) all unpaid  principal  of (and  premium,  if any,  on) any  Outstanding
Securities   which  has  become  due  otherwise  than  by  such  declaration  of
acceleration,  and  interest on such unpaid  principal  at the rate borne by the
Securities,

     (C) to the extent  that  payment of such  interest  is lawful,  interest on
overdue interest at the rate borne by the Securities, and

     (D) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee  hereunder and the  reasonable
compensation,  expenses,  disbursements and advances of the Trustee,  its agents
and counsel; and

     (2) all  Events  of  Default,  other  than the  nonpayment  of  amounts  of
principal of (or premium, if any, on) Securities which have become due solely by
such  declaration  of  acceleration,  have been cured or waived as  provided  in
Section513.

No such  rescission  shall  affect  any  subsequent  default or impair any right
consequent thereon.

                  Notwithstanding the preceding  paragraph,  in the event that a
declaration  of  acceleration  in respect of the  Securities  due to an Event of
Default specified in Section501(6)  shall have occurred and be continuing,  such
declaration of acceleration shall be automatically  annulled if the Debt that is
the subject of such Event of Default has been  discharged or the holders thereof
have rescinded  their  declaration of  acceleration in respect of such Debt, and
written notice of such  discharge or rescission,  as the case may be, shall have
been given to the  Trustee by the Company  and  countersigned  by the holders of
such Debt or a  trustee,  fiduciary  or agent for such  holders,  within 30 days
after such declaration of acceleration in respect of the

NYDOCS01/571795 3







Securities, and no other Event of Default has occurred during such 30-day period
which has not been cured or waived during such period.

     SECTION  503.  Collection  of  Indebtedness  and Suits for  Enforcement  by
Trustee.

                  The Company covenants that if

     (a)  default is made in the payment of any  installment  of interest on any
Security when such interest  becomes due and payable and such default  continues
for a period of 30 days, or

     (b) default is made in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any,
on) any Security at the Maturity thereof,

the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to the Trustee for the benefit
of the Holders of such  Securities the whole amount then due and payable on such
Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, and interest on any
overdue principal (and premium,  if any) and, to the extent that payment of such
interest shall be legally enforceable, upon any overdue installment of interest,
at the rate borne by the  Securities,  and, in addition  thereto,  such  further
amount as shall be  sufficient  to cover the costs and  expenses of  collection,
including the reasonable compensation,  expenses,  disbursements and advances of
the Trustee, its agents and counsel.

                  If the Company fails to pay such amounts  forthwith  upon such
demand,  the  Trustee,  in its own name as  trustee  of an  express  trust,  may
institute  a  judicial  proceeding  for the  collection  of the  sums so due and
unpaid,  may  prosecute  such  proceeding  to judgment  or final  decree and may
enforce the same against the Company or any other  obligor  upon the  Securities
and collect the moneys  adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided
by law  out of the  property  of the  Company  or any  other  obligor  upon  the
Securities, wherever situated.

                  If an Event of Default occurs and is  continuing,  the Trustee
may in its  discretion  proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights
of the Holders by such  appropriate  judicial  proceedings  as the Trustee shall
deem most  effectual  to protect and enforce  any such  rights,  whether for the
specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of
the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  SECTION 504.  Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.

                  In  case  of the  pendency  of any  receivership,  insolvency,
liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or
other judicial  proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the
Securities  or the  property  of the  Company or of such other  obligor or their
creditors,  the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities
shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise
and  irrespective  of  whether  the  Trustee  shall  have made any demand on the
Company  for the payment of overdue  principal,  premium,  if any, or  interest)
shall  be  entitled  and  empowered,  by  intervention  in  such  proceeding  or
otherwise,

     (i) to file and  prove a claim  for the  whole  amount  of  principal  (and
premium,  if any) and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and
to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order
to have the  claims of the  Trustee  (including  any  claim  for the  reasonable
compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee and its agents
and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and

     (ii) to  collect  and  receive  any  moneys or other  property  payable  or
deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;

and any custodian,  receiver,  assignee, trustee, liquidator or sequestrator (or
other similar official) in any such judicial  proceeding is hereby authorized by
each  Holder to make such  payments  to the  Trustee  and, in the event that the
Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to
pay the Trustee  any amount due it for the  reasonable  compensation,  expenses,
disbursements  and advances of the Trustee and its agents and  counsel,  and any
other amounts due the Trustee under Section607.

                  Nothing  herein  contained  shall be deemed to  authorize  the
Trustee  to  authorize  or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder
any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the
Securities or the rights of any Holder  thereof,  or to authorize the Trustee to
vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

     SECTION 505. Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities.

                  All rights of action and claims  under this  Indenture  or the
Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee  without the possession
of any of the  Securities or the production  thereof in any proceeding  relating
thereto,  and any such proceeding  instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in
its own name and as trustee of an express  trust,  and any  recovery of judgment
shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation,

NYDOCS01/571795 3







expenses,  disbursements and advances of the Trustee and its agents and counsel,
be for the ratable  benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which
such judgment has been recovered.

                  SECTION 506.  Application of Money Collected.

                  Any money  collected  by the Trustee  pursuant to this Article
Five shall be applied in the following  order, at the date or dates fixed by the
Trustee and, in case of the  distribution  of such money on account of principal
(or premium,  if any) or interest,  upon  presentation of the Securities and the
notation  thereon  of the  payment  if only  partially  paid and upon  surrender
thereof if fully paid:

     FIRST: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section607;

     SECOND:  To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of
(and premium,  if any) and interest on the Securities in respect of which or for
the benefit of which such money has been collected,  ratably, without preference
or  priority  of any kind,  according  to the  amounts  due and  payable on such
Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, respectively; and

     THIRD: The balance, if any, to the Person or Persons entitled thereto.

                  SECTION 507.  Limitation on Suits.

                  No Holder of any Securities  shall have any right to institute
any proceeding,  judicial or otherwise,  with respect to this Indenture,  or for
the  appointment  of a receiver or trustee,  or for any other remedy  hereunder,
unless

     (1) such Holder has  previously  given  written  notice to the Trustee of a
continuing Event of Default;

     (2) the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate  principal  amount of the
Outstanding  Securities  shall  have made  written  request  to the  Trustee  to
institute  proceedings  in  respect  of such Event of Default in its own name as
Trustee hereunder;

     (3) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity reasonably
satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in
compliance with such request;

     (4) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such  notice,  request and
offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and

NYDOCS01/571795 3







     (5) no direction  inconsistent  with such written request has been given to
the Trustee  during  such 60-day  period by the Holders of a majority or more in
aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities;

it being  understood  and intended  that no one or more  Holders  shall have any
right in any manner whatsoever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of
this Indenture to affect,  disturb or prejudice the rights of any other Holders,
or to obtain or to seek to obtain  priority or preference over any other Holders
or to enforce  any right  under  this  Indenture,  except in the  manner  herein
provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all the Holders.

     SECTION 508.  Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal,  Premium
and Interest.

                  Notwithstanding  any other  provision in this  Indenture,  the
Holder  of  any   Security   shall  have  the  right,   which  is  absolute  and
unconditional,  to receive payment as provided herein (including, if applicable,
Article  Twelve) and in such Security of the principal of (and premium,  if any)
and (subject to Section307)  interest on such Security on the respective  Stated
Maturities  expressed in such  Security (or, in the case of  redemption,  on the
Redemption  Date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment,
and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.

                  SECTION 509.  Restoration of Rights and Remedies.

                  If the Trustee or any Holder has  instituted any proceeding to
enforce any right or remedy under this  Indenture and such  proceeding  has been
discontinued or abandoned for any reason,  or has been  determined  adversely to
the  Trustee or to such  Holder,  then and in every  such  case,  subject to any
determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall
be restored  severally and respectively to their former positions  hereunder and
thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue
as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

                  SECTION 510.  Rights and Remedies Cumulative.

                  Except as otherwise  provided with respect to the  replacement
or  payment  of  mutilated,  destroyed,  lost or stolen  Securities  in the last
paragraph of Section306, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to
the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be  exclusive of any other right or
remedy,  and every right and remedy  shall,  to the extent  permitted by law, be
cumulative  and in addition to every other right and remedy  given  hereunder or
now or hereafter  existing at law or in equity or  otherwise.  The  assertion or
employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the
concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  SECTION 511.  Delay or Omission Not Waiver.

                  No delay or  omission  of the  Trustee or of any Holder of any
Security  to  exercise  any right or remedy  accruing  upon any Event of Default
shall  impair any such right or remedy or  constitute a waiver of any such Event
of Default or an  acquiescence  therein.  Every  right and remedy  given by this
Article  Five or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be  exercised  from
time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient,  by the Trustee or by the
Holders, as the case may be.

                  SECTION 512.  Control by Holders.

                  The Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal
amount of the  Outstanding  Securities  shall have the right to direct the time,
method and place of conducting any  proceeding  for any remedy  available to the
Trustee,  or exercising  any trust or power  conferred on the Trustee,  provided
that

     (1) such  direction  shall not be in conflict  with any rule of law or with
this Indenture,

     (2) the  Trustee  may take any other  action  deemed  proper by the Trustee
which is not inconsistent with such direction, and

     (3) the Trustee need not take any action which might involve it in personal
liability or be unjustly prejudicial to the Holders not consenting.

                  SECTION 513.  Waiver of Past Defaults.

                  The Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal
amount of the  Outstanding  Securities  may on behalf of the  Holders of all the
Securities  waive any past  default  hereunder  and its  consequences,  except a
default

     (1) in respect of the payment of the  principal of (or premium,  if any) or
interest on any Security, or

     (2) in respect of a covenant or provision  hereof which under  Article Nine
cannot  be  modified  or  amended  without  the  consent  of the  Holder of each
Outstanding Security affected.

                  Upon any such waiver,  such default shall cease to exist,  and
any Event of Default arising  therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured,  for
every purpose of this

NYDOCS01/571795 3







Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or
Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

                  SECTION 514.  Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws.

                  The Company  covenants  (to the extent that it may lawfully do
so) that it shall  not at any time  insist  upon,  or  plead,  or in any  manner
whatsoever  claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law
wherever  enacted,  now or at any time hereafter in force,  which may affect the
covenants or the performance of this  Indenture;  and the Company (to the extent
that it may lawfully do so) hereby  expressly waives all benefit or advantage of
any such law and  covenants  that it  shall  not  hinder,  delay or  impede  the
execution  of any power  herein  granted to the  Trustee,  but shall  suffer and
permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.


                                   ARTICLE SIX

                                   THE TRUSTEE

                  SECTION601.  Certain Duties and Responsibilities.

                  (a)      Except during the continuance of an Event of Default,

                  (1) the  Trustee  undertakes  to perform  such duties and only
         such duties as are  specifically  set forth in this  Indenture,  and no
         implied  covenants  or  obligations  shall be read into this  Indenture
         against the Trustee; and

                  (2) in the  absence of bad faith on its part,  the Trustee may
         conclusively   rely,  as  to  the  truth  of  the  statements  and  the
         correctness of the opinions  expressed  therein,  upon  certificates or
         opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of
         this Indenture;  but, in the case of any such  certificates or opinions
         which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished
         to the Trustee,  the Trustee  shall be under a duty to examine the same
         to determine  whether or not they conform to the  requirements  of this
         Indenture.

                  (b)  In  case  an  Event  of  Default  has   occurred  and  is
continuing,  the Trustee shall  exercise such of the rights and powers vested in
it by this  Indenture,  and use the  same  degree  of care  and  skill  in their
exercise,  as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the
conduct of his own affairs.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  (c) No  provision  of this  Indenture  shall be  construed  to
relieve  the  Trustee  from  liability  for its own  negligent  action,  its own
negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that

     (1) this  paragraph  (c) shall  not be  construed  to limit  the  effect of
paragraph (a) of this Section 601;

     (2) the Trustee  shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good
faith by a Responsible  Officer,  unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was
negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts;

     (3) the  Trustee  shall not be liable with  respect to any action  taken or
omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance  with the direction of the
Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities relating
to the time,  method  and place of  conducting  any  proceeding  for any  remedy
available to the Trustee,  or exercising  any trust or power  conferred upon the
Trustee, under this Indenture; and

     (4) no provision of this  Indenture  shall require the Trustee to expend or
risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance
of any of its  duties  hereunder,  or in the  exercise  of any of its  rights or
powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such
funds or indemnity reasonably  satisfactory to it against such risk or liability
is not reasonably assured to it.

                  (d)  Whether  or not  therein  expressly  so  provided,  every
provision of this  Indenture  relating to the conduct or affecting the liability
of or affording  protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of
this Section 601.

                  SECTION 602.  Notice of Default.

                  Within 60 days after the occurrence of any Default  hereunder,
the  Trustee  shall  transmit,  in the manner and to the extent  provided in TIA
Section313(c), notice of such Default hereunder known to any Responsible Officer
of the Trustee,  unless such Default shall have been cured or waived;  provided,
however,  that,  except in the case of a Default in the payment of the principal
of (or  premium,  if any) or interest  on any  Security,  the  Trustee  shall be
protected in  withholding  such notice if and so long as the board of directors,
the executive  committee or a trust  committee of directors  and/or  Responsible
Officers of the Trustee in good faith  determines  that the  withholding of such
notice is in the interest of the Holders;  and provided further that in the case
of any Default of the  character  specified in  Section501(5)  no such notice to
Holders shall be given until at least 30 days after the occurrence thereof.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  SECTION 603.  Certain Rights of Trustee.

     Subject to Section 601 and to the provisions of TIA Sections315(a)  through
315(d):

                  (1) the  Trustee  may  conclusively  rely  and  shall be fully
         protected  in acting or  refraining  from acting  upon any  resolution,
         certificate,  statement,  instrument, opinion, report, notice, request,
         direction,  consent,  order, bond,  debenture,  note, other evidence of
         indebtedness  or other paper or  document  believed by it to be genuine
         and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;

                  (2) any request or direction of the Company  mentioned  herein
         shall be  sufficiently  evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order
         and any  resolution  of the  Board  of  Directors  may be  sufficiently
         evidenced by a Board Resolution;

                  (3)  whenever  in the  administration  of this  Indenture  the
         Trustee shall deem it desirable  that a matter be proved or established
         prior to  taking,  suffering  or  omitting  any action  hereunder,  the
         Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically  prescribed) may,
         in the  absence  of bad  faith on its  part,  receive  and rely upon an
         Officers' Certificate;

                  (4) the  Trustee  may  consult  with  counsel  and the written
         advice of such  counsel or any  Opinion  of  Counsel  shall be full and
         complete  authorization  and protection in respect of any action taken,
         suffered  or omitted  by it  hereunder  in good  faith and in  reliance
         thereon;

                  (5) the Trustee  shall be under no  obligation to exercise any
         of the rights or powers  vested in it by this  Indenture at the request
         or direction of any of the Holders  pursuant to this Indenture,  unless
         such Holders  shall have  offered to the Trustee  security or indemnity
         reasonably   satisfactory  to  it  against  the  costs,   expenses  and
         liabilities  which  might be  incurred  by it in  compliance  with such
         request or direction;

                  (6) the Trustee  shall not be bound to make any  investigation
         into the  facts  or  matters  stated  in any  resolution,  certificate,
         statement,  instrument,  opinion,  report, notice, request,  direction,
         consent,  order, bond, debenture,  note, other evidence of indebtedness
         or other paper or document,  but the Trustee,  in its  discretion,  may
         make such further inquiry or  investigation  into such facts or matters
         as it may see fit,  and, if the Trustee  shall  determine  to make such
         further inquiry or  investigation,  it shall be entitled to examine the
         books,  records and premises of the Company,  personally or by agent or
         attorney;


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  (7) the  Trustee  may  execute  any of the  trusts  or  powers
         hereunder  or perform  any duties  hereunder  either  directly or by or
         through  agents or attorneys and the Trustee  shall not be  responsible
         for any  misconduct  or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney
         appointed with due care by it hereunder;

                  (8) the  Trustee  shall not be liable  for any  action  taken,
         suffered  or  omitted  by it in good  faith  and  believed  by it to be
         authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers  conferred upon
         it by this Indenture; and

                  (9) the Trustee shall have no duties, obligations or liability
         in connection with any Event of Default  hereunder unless a Responsible
         Officer of the Trustee has knowledge thereof.

                  The  Trustee  shall not be  required to expend or risk its own
funds or otherwise  incur any financial  liability in the  performance of any of
its duties  hereunder,  or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it
shall have  reasonable  grounds for  believing  that  repayment of such funds or
adequate  indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably  assured to
it.

     SECTION  604.   Trustee  Not   Responsible  for  Recitals  or  Issuance  of
Securities.

                  The recitals  contained  herein and in the Securities,  except
for  the  Trustee's  certificates  of  authentication,  shall  be  taken  as the
statements of the Company,  and the Trustee assumes no responsibility  for their
correctness.  The  Trustee  makes  no  representations  as to  the  validity  or
sufficiency  of this  Indenture  or of the  Securities,  except that the Trustee
represents  that it is duly  authorized  to execute and deliver this  Indenture,
authenticate the Securities and perform its obligations  hereunder.  The Trustee
shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Securities
or the proceeds thereof.

                  SECTION 605.  May Hold Securities.

                  The Trustee,  any Paying Agent, any Security  Registrar or any
other agent of the Company or of the  Trustee,  in its  individual  or any other
capacity,  may become the owner or pledgee  of  Securities  and,  subject to TIA
Sections310(b) and 311, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights
it would have if it were not Trustee,  Paying Agent,  Security Registrar or such
other agent.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  SECTION 606.  Money Held in Trust.

                  Money  held by the  Trustee  in  trust  hereunder  need not be
segregated  from other funds  except to the extent  required by law. The Trustee
shall be under no liability  for interest on any money  received by it hereunder
except as otherwise agreed with the Company.

                  SECTION 607.  Compensation and Reimbursement.

                  TheCompany agrees:

                  (1) to pay  to  the  Trustee  from  time  to  time  reasonable
         compensation   for  all  services   rendered  by  it  hereunder  (which
         compensation  shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to
         the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);

                  (2)  except  as  otherwise   expressly   provided  herein,  to
         reimburse  the Trustee  upon its request for all  reasonable  expenses,
         disbursements   and  advances  incurred  or  made  by  the  Trustee  in
         accordance  with  any  provision  of  this  Indenture   (including  the
         reasonable  compensation  and the  expenses  and  disbursements  of its
         agents and counsel),  except any such expense,  disbursement or advance
         as may be attributable to the Trustee's negligence or bad faith; and

                  (3) to  indemnify  the  Trustee and its  directors,  officers,
         employees and agents for, and to hold them harmless against,  any loss,
         liability or expense  incurred  without  negligence or bad faith on the
         part  of  any  of  them,  arising  out  of or in  connection  with  the
         acceptance  or  administration  of this trust,  including the costs and
         expenses  of  defending  itself  or  themselves  against  any  claim or
         liability in connection  with the exercise or performance of any of its
         or their powers or duties hereunder.

                  The  obligations  of the  Company  under this  Section  607 to
compensate  the  Trustee,   to  pay  or  reimburse  the  Trustee  for  expenses,
disbursements  and advances and to indemnify and hold harmless the Trustee shall
constitute additional  indebtedness hereunder and shall survive the satisfaction
and  discharge of this  Indenture or the earlier  resignation  or removal of the
Trustee. As security for the performance of such obligations of the Company, the
Trustee shall have a claim prior to the  Securities  upon all property and funds
held or  collected  by the Trustee as such,  except  funds held in trust for the
payment  of  principal  of  (and  premium,  if any) or  interest  on  particular
Securities.

                  When the  Trustee  incurs  expenses  or  renders  services  in
connection  with an Event of Default  specified  in Section  501(8) or (9),  the
expenses  (including the reasonable  charges and expenses of its counsel) of and
the compensation for such services are intended to

NYDOCS01/571795 3







constitute  expenses of  administration  under any  applicable  federal or state
bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law.

                  The   provisions   of  this  Section  607  shall  survive  the
termination  of this  Indenture  or the  earlier  resignation  or removal of the
Trustee.

     SECTION  608.   Corporate   Trustee  Required;   Eligibility;   Conflicting
Interests.

                  (a)  There  shall be at all times a  Trustee  hereunder  which
shall be subject to and comply with the  provisions of  Section310(a)(1)  of the
Trust  Indenture  Act and shall have a combined  capital and surplus of at least
$50,000,000.  If such  Corporation  publishes  reports  of  condition  at  least
annually,  pursuant to law or to the requirements of federal, state, territorial
or  District of Columbia  supervising  or  examining  authority,  then,  for the
purposes  of  this  Section608,   the  combined  capital  and  surplus  of  such
Corporation  shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth
in its most recent report of condition so published.  If at any time the Trustee
shall cease to be eligible in  accordance  with the  provisions  of this Section
608, it shall resign  immediately in the manner and with the effect  hereinafter
specified in this Article Six.

     (b) The Trustee  shall be subject to and comply with Section  310(b) of the
Trust Indenture Act.

     SECTION 609. Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.

                  (a)  No   resignation   or  removal  of  the  Trustee  and  no
appointment  of a  successor  Trustee  pursuant  to this  Article  shall  become
effective  until the  acceptance  of  appointment  by the  successor  Trustee in
accordance with the applicable requirements of Section610.

                  (b) The  Trustee  may  resign  at any time by  giving  written
notice  thereof to the Company.  If the  instrument of acceptance by a successor
Trustee  required by  Section610  shall not have been  delivered  to the Trustee
within 30 days after the giving of such  notice of  resignation,  the  resigning
Trustee may petition any court of competent  jurisdiction for the appointment of
a successor Trustee.

                  (c)  The  Trustee  may be  removed  at any  time by Act of the
Holders  of not less  than a  majority  in  aggregate  principal  amount  of the
Outstanding Securities, delivered to the Trustee and to the Company.

                  (d)      If at any time:


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  (1) the Trustee  shall fail to comply with the  provisions  of
         TIA  Section310(b)  after written request therefor by the Company or by
         any Holder who has been a bona fide  Holder of a Security  for at least
         six months, or

                  (2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section608(a)
         and shall fail to resign after written request  therefor by the Company
         or by any Holder who has been a bona fide  Holder of a Security  for at
         least six months, or

                  (3) the Trustee  shall become  incapable of acting or shall be
         adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of the Trustee or of its
         property  shall be appointed or any public officer shall take charge or
         control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of
         rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation,

then, in any such case, (i)the Company,  by a Board  Resolution,  may remove the
Trustee or (ii)subject to TIA Section315(e), any Holder who has been a bona fide
Holder of a Security  for at least six months  may, on behalf of himself and all
others similarly situated,  petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the
removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.

                  (e)  If  the  Trustee  shall  resign,  be  removed  or  become
incapable  of acting,  or if a vacancy  shall occur in the office of Trustee for
any  cause,  the  Company,  by a Board  Resolution,  shall  promptly  appoint  a
successor  Trustee.  If,  within  one year after  such  resignation,  removal or
incapability,  or the occurrence of such vacancy,  a successor  Trustee shall be
appointed by Act of the Holders of a majority in aggregate  principal  amount of
the Outstanding  Securities  delivered to the Company and the retiring  Trustee,
the successor Trustee so appointed shall,  forthwith upon its acceptance of such
appointment,  become the successor  Trustee and supersede the successor  Trustee
appointed by the Company.  If no successor  Trustee shall have been so appointed
by the Company or the Holders and accepted appointment in the manner hereinafter
provided,  any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least
six months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition
any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

                  (f) The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each
removal  of the  Trustee  and each  appointment  of a  successor  Trustee to the
Holders of  Securities  in the manner  provided for in  Section106.  Each notice
shall include the name of the successor Trustee and the address of its Corporate
Trust Office.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  (g) The  retiring  Trustee  shall not be liable for any of the
acts or omissions of any successor Trustee appointed hereunder.

                  SECTION 610.  Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.

                  Every  successor  Trustee  appointed  hereunder shall execute,
acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument
accepting  such  appointment,  and thereupon the  resignation  or removal of the
retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor Trustee,  without any
further  act,  deed or  conveyance,  shall  become  vested  with all the rights,
powers,  trusts  and  duties of the  retiring  Trustee;  but,  on request of the
Company or the successor  Trustee,  such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of
its charges,  execute and deliver an instrument  transferring  to such successor
Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee and shall duly
assign,  transfer and deliver to such  successor  Trustee all property and money
held by such  retiring  Trustee  hereunder.  Upon request of any such  successor
Trustee,  the Company shall execute any and all  instruments  for more fully and
certainly  vesting in and confirming to such successor  Trustee all such rights,
powers and trusts.

                  No successor  Trustee shall accept its  appointment  unless at
the time of such  acceptance  such  successor  Trustee  shall be  qualified  and
eligible under this Article.

     SECTION 611. Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.

                  Any  Corporation  into  which  the  Trustee  may be  merged or
converted or with which it may be  consolidated,  or any  Corporation  resulting
from any merger,  conversion  or  consolidation  to which the Trustee shall be a
party,  or  any  Corporation  succeeding  to  all  or  substantially  all of the
corporate  trust business of the Trustee,  shall be the successor of the Trustee
hereunder,  provided  that such  Corporation  shall be otherwise  qualified  and
eligible under this Article Six, without the execution or filing of any paper or
any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Securities
shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office,
any successor by merger,  conversion  or  consolidation  to such  authenticating
Trustee  may  adopt  such   authentication   and  deliver  the   Securities   so
authenticated  with the same  effect as if such  successor  Trustee  had  itself
authenticated such Securities.  In case at that time any of the Securities shall
not have  been  authenticated,  any  successor  Trustee  may  authenticate  such
Securities either in the name of any predecessor hereunder or in the name of the
successor Trustee. In all such cases such certificates shall have the full force
and effect which this Indenture  provides that the certificate of authentication
of the  Trustee  shall  have;  provided,  however,  that the  right to adopt the
certificate of  authentication  of any  predecessor  Trustee or to  authenticate
Securities  in the  name of any  predecessor  Trustee  shall  apply  only to its
successor or successors by merger, conversion or consolidation.

NYDOCS01/571795 3








                                  ARTICLE SEVEN

                HOLDERS' LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY

                  SECTION 701.  Disclosure of Names and Addresses of Holders.

                  Every Holder of Securities, by receiving and holding the same,
agrees with the Company and the Trustee  that none of the Company or the Trustee
or any  agent of  either  of them  shall be held  accountable  by  reason of the
disclosure of any such  information as to the names and addresses of the Holders
in  accordance  with TIA  Section312,  regardless  of the source from which such
information was derived,  and that the Trustee shall not be held  accountable by
reason  of  mailing  any   material   pursuant  to  a  request  made  under  TIA
Section312(b).

                  SECTION 702.  Reports by Trustee.

                  Within 60 days after  May15 of each year  commencing  with the
first May15 after the first issuance of  Securities,  the Trustee shall transmit
to the Holders, in the manner and to the extent provided in TIA Section313(c), a
brief report dated as of such May15 if required by TIA Section313(a).

                  SECTION 703.  Reports by Company.

                  The  Company  shall file with the  Trustee  and deliver to the
Holders of Securities the reports and other information  required to be provided
by it pursuant to Section1008.


                                  ARTICLE EIGHT

              CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE

     SECTION 801. Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms.

                  The Company shall not,  except as provided in Section 1025, in
a single transaction or a series of related transactions, (i)consolidate with or
merge into any other Person or Persons or permit any other Person to consolidate
with or merge into the Company  (other than a merger of Qwest  Corporation  into
the Company in which the Company shall be the surviving Person) or (ii) directly
or  indirectly,   transfer,   sell,  lease  or  otherwise   dispose  of  all  or
substantially  all of its assets to any other Person or Persons,  unless, in any
such transaction specified in clause (i) or (ii):

NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  (1) in a transaction in which the Company is not the surviving
         Person or in which the Company sells,  leases or otherwise  disposes of
         all or  substantially  all of its  assets  to  any  other  Person,  the
         resulting,  surviving or transferee Person (the "successor  entity") is
         organized  under the laws of the United  States of America or any State
         thereof or the District of Columbia and shall  expressly  assume,  by a
         supplemental  indenture  executed and  delivered to the Trustee in form
         satisfactory  to the Trustee,  all of the Company's  obligations  under
         this Indenture;

                  (2)  immediately  before  and  after  giving  effect  to  such
         transaction  and treating any Debt which  becomes an  obligation of the
         Company or a Restricted  Subsidiary as a result of such  transaction as
         having been  Incurred by the Company or such  Restricted  Subsidiary at
         the time of the transaction,  no Default or Event of Default shall have
         occurred and be continuing;

                  (3) immediately after giving effect to such  transaction,  the
         Consolidated Net Worth of the Company (or other successor entity to the
         Company) is equal to or greater  than that of the  Company  immediately
         prior to the transaction;

                  (4)  immediately  after giving effect to such  transaction and
         treating  any Debt which  becomes  an  obligation  of the  Company or a
         Restricted  Subsidiary as a result of such  transaction  as having been
         Incurred by the Company or such  Restricted  Subsidiary  at the time of
         the  transaction,  the Company  (including any successor  entity to the
         Company) could Incur at least $1.00 of additional  Debt pursuant to the
         provisions of paragraph(a) of Section 1011;

                  (5) if,  as a result  of any  such  transaction,  property  or
         assets of the Company would become subject to a Lien  prohibited by the
         provisions of Section1015,  the Company or the successor  entity to the
         Company  shall  have  secured  the   Securities  as  required  by  such
         Section1015; and

                  (6) the Company  has  delivered  to the  Trustee an  Officers'
         Certificate  and an  Opinion  of  Counsel,  each in form and  substance
         reasonably   satisfactory   to   the   Trustee,   stating   that   such
         consolidation,  merger, conveyance, transfer, lease or acquisition and,
         if a  supplemental  indenture  is  required  in  connection  with  such
         transaction,  such supplemental  indenture,  complies with this Article
         and that all conditions  precedent herein provided for relating to such
         transaction  have  been  complied  with,  and,  with  respect  to  such
         Officers' Certificate, setting forth the manner of determination of the
         Consolidated   Net  Worth,   in  accordance   with  clause(3)  of  this
         Section801,  of the Company or, if applicable,  of the successor entity
         as required pursuant to the foregoing.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  SECTION 802.  Successor Substituted.

                  Upon any  consolidation  of the Company  with or merger of the
Company with or into any other Corporation or any conveyance,  transfer or lease
of the properties and assets of the Company  substantially as an entirety to any
Person or Persons in accordance with Section801,  the successor Person formed by
such  consolidation  or into  which  the  Company  is  merged  or to which  such
conveyance,  transfer or lease is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for,
and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with
the same  effect  as if such  successor  Person  had been  named as the  Company
herein, and, in the event of any such conveyance or transfer, the Company (which
term shall for this purpose mean the Person named as the  "Company" in the first
paragraph of this Indenture or any successor Person which shall have become such
in the manner described in Section801),  except in the case of a lease, shall be
discharged  of all  obligations  and  covenants  under  this  Indenture  and the
Securities and may be dissolved and liquidated.


                                  ARTICLE NINE

                             SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

     SECTION 901. Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders.

                  Without  the  consent  of  any  Holders,  the  Company,   when
authorized by a Board Resolution,  and the Trustee, at any time and from time to
time, may enter into one or more  indentures  supplemental  hereto,  in form and
substance satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the following purposes:

     (1) to evidence  the  succession  of another  Person to the Company and the
assumption  by any such  successor  of the  covenants  of the Company  contained
herein and in the Securities; or

     (2) to add to the  covenants  of the Company for the benefit of the Holders
or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company; or

     (3) to add any additional Events of Default; or

     (4) to provide for uncertificated  Securities in addition to or in place of
certificated Securities; or

     (5) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment  hereunder by
a successor Trustee pursuant to the requirements of Section610; or

NYDOCS01/571795 3







     (6) to cure any ambiguity,  to correct or supplement  any provision  herein
which may be inconsistent  with any other provision herein, or to make any other
provisions  with respect to matters or questions  arising under this  Indenture;
provided  that such  action  shall not  adversely  affect the  interests  of the
Holders in any material respect; or

     (7) to secure the Securities  pursuant to the  requirements of Section1015;
or

     (8) to  provide  for a  Restricted  Subsidiary  Guarantee  pursuant  to the
requirements of Section 1016.

                  SECTION 902.  Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders.

                  With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in
aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities, by Act of said Holders
delivered to the Company and the  Trustee,  the Company,  when  authorized  by a
Board  Resolution,  and the Trustee may enter into an  indenture  or  indentures
supplemental  hereto for the purpose of adding any  provisions to or changing in
any  manner  or  eliminating  any of the  provisions  of  this  Indenture  or of
modifying  in any  manner  the  rights  of the  Holders  under  this  Indenture;
provided,  however,  that no such  supplemental  indenture  shall,  without  the
consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby:

     (1) change the Stated  Maturity of the principal of or any  installment  of
interest on any Security,  or alter the redemption provisions thereof, or reduce
the  principal  amount  thereof  (or  premium,  if any) or the rate of  interest
thereon or reduce the amount of the  principal of the  Securities  that would be
due and payable upon a  declaration  of  acceleration  of the  Maturity  thereof
pursuant to Section502 or the amount thereof provable in bankruptcy  pursuant to
Section504,  or change the place of payment where,  or the coin or currency,  in
which any Security or any premium or the interest thereon is payable,  or impair
the right to institute suit for the  enforcement of any such payment on or after
the Stated  Maturity  thereof  (or, in the case of  redemption,  on or after the
Redemption Date); or

     (2) reduce the percentage in aggregate  principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities  the consent of whose  Holders is required for any such  supplemental
indenture,  or the  consent  of whose  Holders  is  required  for any  waiver of
compliance  with  certain  provisions  of this  Indenture  or  certain  defaults
hereunder and their consequences provided for in this Indenture; or

     (3) subordinate in right of payment, or otherwise subordinate, the Notes to
any other Debt; or

NYDOCS01/571795 3







     (4) modify any of the  provisions  of this Section 902,  except to increase
any  such  percentage  or to  provide  that  certain  other  provisions  of this
Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each
Outstanding Security affected thereby.

                  It shall not be  necessary  for any Act of Holders  under this
Section  902  to  approve  the  particular  form  of any  proposed  supplemental
indenture,  but it shall be  sufficient  if such Act shall approve the substance
thereof.

                  SECTION 903.  Execution of Supplemental Indentures.

                  In executing,  or accepting the additional  trusts created by,
any supplemental  indenture  permitted by this Article Nine or the modifications
thereby of the trusts created by this  Indenture,  the Trustee shall be entitled
to receive,  and shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel
stating that the  execution of such  supplemental  indenture  is  authorized  or
permitted  by this  Indenture  and an  Officers'  Certificate  stating  that all
conditions  precedent to the execution of such supplemental  indenture have been
fulfilled.  The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated  to, enter into any such
supplemental  indenture  which  affects  the  Trustee's  own  rights,  duties or
immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

                  SECTION 904.  Effect of Supplemental Indentures.

                  Upon the execution of any  supplemental  indenture  under this
Article Nine, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such
supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and
every Holder of Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered
hereunder shall be bound thereby.

                  SECTION 905.  Conformity with Trust Indenture Act.

                  Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article
Nine shall  conform as a matter of  contract or law to the  requirements  of the
Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.

     SECTION 906. Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures.

                  Securities  authenticated and delivered after the execution of
any supplemental  indenture pursuant to this Article Nine may bear a notation in
form  approved by the Trustee and the Company as to any matter  provided  for in
such supplemental indenture.  If the Company shall so determine,  new Securities
so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Company, to any
such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed

NYDOCS01/571795 3







by the Company and  authenticated  and  delivered by the Trustee in exchange for
Outstanding Securities.

                  SECTION 907.  Notice of Supplemental Indentures.

                  Promptly after the execution by the Company and the Trustee of
any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of Section902, the Company
shall give notice thereof to the Holders of each Outstanding  Security affected,
in the manner  provided for in  Section106,  setting  forth in general terms the
substance of such supplemental indenture.


                                   ARTICLE TEN

                                    COVENANTS

     SECTION 1001. Payment of Principal, Premium, if Any, and Interest.

                  The  Company  covenants  and  agrees  for the  benefit  of the
Holders that it shall duly and punctually pay the principal of (and premium,  if
any)  and  interest  on the  Securities  in  accordance  with  the  terms of the
Securities and this Indenture.

                  SECTION 1002.  Maintenance of Office or Agency.

                  The Company shall maintain in The City of NewYork an office or
agency  where  Securities  may be presented or  surrendered  for payment,  where
Securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where
notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities and this
Indenture may be served. The Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee shall be such
office or agency of the Company, unless the Company shall designate and maintain
some other office or agency for one or more of such purposes.  The Company shall
give prompt  written  notice to the Trustee of any change in the location of any
such  office or agency.  If at any time the Company  shall fail to maintain  any
such  required  office or agency or shall fail to furnish the  Trustee  with the
address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made
or served at the Corporate  Trust Office of the Trustee,  and the Company hereby
appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders,
notices and demands.

                  The Company may also from time to time  designate  one or more
other  offices or  agencies  (in or outside  of The City of  NewYork)  where the
Securities may be presented or surrendered  for any or all such purposes and may
from time to time rescind any such designation;  provided, however, that no such
designation  or  rescission  shall in any  manner  relieve  the  Company  of its
obligation to maintain an office or agency in The City of NewYork

NYDOCS01/571795 3







for such  purposes.  The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee
of any such designation or rescission and any change in the location of any such
other office or agency.

     SECTION 1003. Money for Security Payments to Be Held in Trust.

                  If the Company  shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent,
it shall, on or before each due date of the principal of (or premium, if any) or
interest on any of the  Securities,  segregate and hold in trust for the benefit
of the Persons  entitled  thereto a sum  sufficient  to pay the principal of (or
premium,  if any) or interest  so becoming  due until such sums shall be paid to
such Persons or  otherwise  disposed of as herein  provided  and shall  promptly
notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.

                  Whenever the Company  shall have one or more Paying Agents for
the  Securities,  it shall,  on or before each due date of the  principal of (or
premium,  if any) or interest on any  Securities,  deposit with a Paying Agent a
sum  sufficient  to pay the  principal  (and  premium,  if any) or  interest  so
becoming  due,  such  sum to be held in trust  for the  benefit  of the  Persons
entitled to such principal,  premium or interest,  and (unless such Paying Agent
is the Trustee) the Company will  promptly  notify the Trustee of such action or
any failure so to act.

                  The  Company  shall cause each  Paying  Agent  (other than the
Trustee)  to execute  and  deliver to the  Trustee an  instrument  in which such
Paying Agent shall agree with the  Trustee,  subject to the  provisions  of this
Section 1003, that such Paying Agent shall:

                  (1) hold all sums held by it for the payment of the principal,
         premium,  if any, or interest on Securities in trust for the benefit of
         the  Persons  entitled  thereto  until  such sums shall be paid to such
         Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided;

                  (2) give the Trustee  notice of any default by the Company (or
         any other obligor upon the  Securities) in the making of any payment of
         principal, premium, if any, or interest;

                  (3) at any time during the  continuance  of any such  default,
         upon the written  request of the Trustee,  forthwith pay to the Trustee
         all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent; and

                  (4)  indemnify  the  Trustee  and  its  officers,   directors,
         employees and agents against any loss, cost or liability  caused by, or
         incurred as a result of, such Paying Agent's acts or omissions.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  The Company may at any time,  for the purpose of obtaining the
satisfaction  and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose,  pay, or
by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in
trust by the Company or such Paying  Agent,  such sums to be held by the Trustee
upon the same  trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the  Company or
such Paying  Agent;  and,  upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee,
such Paying Agent shall be released from all further  liability  with respect to
such sums.

                  Any money  deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent,  or
then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of, premium,
if any, or interest on any Security and remaining  unclaimed for two years after
such principal,  premium or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to
the  Company  on  Company  Request,  or (if then held by the  Company)  shall be
discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Security shall thereafter, as
an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and
all  liability  of the Trustee or such Paying  Agent with  respect to such trust
money,  and all  liability of the Company as trustee  thereof,  shall  thereupon
cease;  provided,  however,  that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being
required to make any such repayment,  may at the expense of the Company cause to
be published once, in a newspaper published in the English language, customarily
published  on each  Business  Day and of general  circulation  in the Borough of
Manhattan,  The City of NewYork,  notice that such money  remains  unclaimed and
that, after a date specified therein,  which shall not be less than 30 days from
the date of such publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining
will be repaid to the Company.

                  SECTION 1004.  Corporate Existence.

                  Subject to Article Eight,  the Company shall do or cause to be
done all  things  necessary  to  preserve  and keep in full force and effect the
corporate  existence,  rights  (charter and  statutory)  and  franchises  of the
Company and each Subsidiary;  provided,  however,  that the Company shall not be
required to preserve,  with respect to the Company,  any such right or franchise
or, with respect to any Subsidiary  (subject to all the other  covenants in this
Indenture),  any such corporate existence,  right or franchise,  if the Board of
Directors shall determine that the  preservation  thereof is no longer desirable
in the conduct of the  business of the Company and its  Subsidiaries  as a whole
and that the loss thereof is not  disadvantageous in any material respect to the
Holders.

                  SECTION 1005.  Payment of Taxes and Other Claims.

                  The  Company  shall  pay or  discharge  or cause to be paid or
discharged,  before the same shall become delinquent,  (a)all taxes, assessments
and  governmental  charges  levied or imposed upon the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary or upon the income, profits or

NYDOCS01/571795 3







property of the Company or any  Restricted  Subsidiary  and (b)all lawful claims
for labor,  materials and supplies which, if unpaid,  might by law become a lien
upon  the  property  of the  Company  or any  Restricted  Subsidiary;  provided,
however,  that the Company shall not be required to pay or discharge or cause to
be paid or discharged  any such tax,  assessment,  charge or claim whose amount,
applicability  or  validity  is being  contested  in good  faith by  appropriate
proceedings.

                  SECTION 1006.  Maintenance of Properties.

                  The Company shall cause all properties owned by the Company or
any Restricted Subsidiary or used or held for use in the conduct of its business
or the business of any  Restricted  Subsidiary to be maintained and kept in good
condition,  repair and working order and supplied  with all necessary  equipment
and  shall  cause  to be made all  necessary  repairs,  renewals,  replacements,
betterments and improvements  thereof, all as in the judgment of the Company may
be necessary  so that the business  carried on in  connection  therewith  may be
properly and  advantageously  conducted at all times;  provided,  however,  that
nothing in this Section 1006 shall  prevent the Company from  discontinuing  the
maintenance of any of such properties if such discontinuance is, in the judgment
of the Company,  desirable in the conduct of its business or the business of any
Subsidiary and not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders.

                  SECTION 1007.  Insurance.

                  The  Company  shall  at all  times  keep  all of its  and  its
Restricted  Subsidiaries'  properties  which are of an insurable  nature insured
with insurers, believed by the Company to be responsible, against loss or damage
to the  extent  that  property  of  similar  character  is usually so insured by
Corporations similarly situated and owning like properties.

                  SECTION 1008.  Provision of Financial Statements.

                  The Company will file with the Trustee on the date on which it
files them with the  Commission  copies of the annual and quarterly  reports and
the  information,  documents,  and other reports that the Company is required to
file with the Commission  pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act
("SEC Reports"). In the event the Company shall cease to be required to file SEC
Reports pursuant to the Exchange Act, the Company will nevertheless  continue to
file such reports with the  Commission  (unless the  Commission  will not accept
such a filing) and the  Trustee.  The  Company  will  furnish  copies of the SEC
Reports to the Holders of Securities at the time the Company is required to file
the same with the Trustee and will make such information  available to investors
who request it in writing.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  SECTION 1009.  Statement by Officers as to Default.

                  (a) The Company shall  deliver to the Trustee,  on the date of
delivery of each  quarterly  report to be delivered  pursuant to Section 1008, a
brief  certificate from the principal  executive  officer,  principal  financial
officer  or  principal  accounting  officer  as to his or her  knowledge  of the
Company's compliance with all conditions and covenants under this Indenture. For
purposes of this  Section1009(a),  such compliance  shall be determined  without
regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice under this Indenture.

                  (b) When any Default has occurred and is continuing under this
Indenture,  or if the trustee for or the holder of any other evidence of Debt of
the  Company or any  Restricted  Subsidiary  gives any notice or takes any other
action with respect to a claimed default (other than with respect to Debt in the
principal  amount of less than  $5,000,000),  the Company  shall  deliver to the
Trustee by  registered  or  certified  mail or by  telegram,  telex or facsimile
transmission an Officers'  Certificate  specifying  such event,  notice or other
action within five Business Days of its occurrence.

                  SECTION 1010.  Purchase of Securities upon Change of Control.

                  (a) Upon the  occurrence  of a Change of Control,  each Holder
shall  have the right to  require  that the  Company  repurchase  such  Holder's
Securities in whole or in part in integral multiples of $1,000 principal amount,
in  accordance  with the  procedures  set  forth in this  Section  1010 and this
Indenture.

                  (b) Within 30 days of the  occurrence  of a Change of Control,
the  Company  shall  mail an Offer  with  respect  to an Offer to  Purchase  all
Outstanding  Securities at a price in cash equal to 101% of the principal amount
of the  Securities  plus accrued and unpaid  interest  thereon,  if any, to such
Purchase Date.  Installments of interest (including  Liquidated  Interest) whose
Stated  Maturity  is on or prior to the  Purchase  Date  shall be payable to the
Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as
such at the close of business on the relevant  Record  Dates  according to their
terms and the provisions of Section 307. Each Holder shall be entitled to tender
all or any portion of the Securities  owned by such Holder pursuant to the Offer
to Purchase,  subject to the requirement that any portion of a Security tendered
must be tendered in an integral multiple of $1,000 principal amount.

                  (c) The Company and the Trustee shall perform their respective
obligations  for the Offer to Purchase as specified  in the Offer.  Prior to the
Purchase Date,  the Company shall (i) accept for payment  Securities or portions
thereof tendered  pursuant to the Offer, (ii) deposit with the Paying Agent (or,
if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as
provided in Section  1003) money  sufficient  to pay the  purchase  price of all
Securities  or  portions  thereof so accepted  and (iii)  deliver or cause to be
delivered to the

NYDOCS01/571795 3







Trustee  all  Securities  so accepted  together  with an  Officers'  Certificate
stating the Securities or portions  thereof accepted for payment by the Company.
The Paying  Agent shall  promptly  mail or deliver to Holders of  Securities  so
accepted payment in an amount equal to the Purchase Price, and the Trustee shall
promptly  authenticate  and mail or deliver to such  Holders a new  Security  or
Securities equal in principal amount to any unpurchased  portion of the Security
surrendered  as requested  by the Holder.  Any Security not accepted for payment
shall be promptly mailed or delivered by the Company to the Holder thereof.

                  (d) A "Change of Control"  shall be deemed to have occurred at
such time as (i) a Rating  Decline  shall have  occurred and (ii) either (A) the
sale, conveyance, transfer or lease of all or substantially all of the assets of
the Company to any Person or any Persons acting together that would constitute a
"group" (a "Group") for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act,  together
with any Affiliates or Related Persons thereof,  other than any Permitted Holder
or any  Restricted  Subsidiary,  shall have  occurred;  (B) any Person or Group,
together  with  any  Affiliates  or  Related  Persons  thereof,  other  than any
Permitted Holder or any Restricted  Subsidiary,  shall  beneficially own (within
the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act,  except that a Person shall be
deemed to have beneficial ownership of all shares that such Person has the right
to acquire,  whether  such right is  exercisable  immediately  or only after the
passage of time) at least 50% of the  aggregate  voting  power of all classes of
Voting  Stock of the Company at a time when  Permitted  Holders own less than or
equal to 25% of the aggregate voting power of all classes of Voting Stock of the
Company; or (C) during any period of two consecutive years, Continuing Directors
cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the Board of Directors  then in
office.

                  (e) In the event that the  Company  makes an Offer to Purchase
the Securities, the Company shall comply with any applicable securities laws and
regulations, including any applicable requirements of Section 14(e) of, and Rule
14e-1 under, the Exchange Act.

                  SECTION 1011.  Limitation on Consolidated Debt.

                  (a) The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted
Subsidiary to, Incur any Debt, unless, after giving effect to the application of
the  proceeds  thereof,  no  Default  or  Event  of  Default  would  occur  as a
consequence of such  Incurrence or be continuing  following such  Incurrence and
either (i)the ratio of (A)the aggregate consolidated principal amount of Debt of
the Company  outstanding  as of the most recent  available  quarterly  or annual
balance sheet,  after giving pro forma effect to the Incurrence of such Debt and
any other Debt  Incurred or repaid since such balance sheet date and the receipt
and application of the proceeds thereof, to (B) Consolidated Cash Flow Available
for  Fixed  Charges  for the  four  full  fiscal  quarters  next  preceding  the
Incurrence  of  such  Debt  for  which  consolidated  financial  statements  are
available, determined on a pro forma basis as if any such Debt had been Incurred
and the proceeds thereof had been applied at the beginning of such four fiscal

NYDOCS01/571795 3







quarters,  would be less than 5.5 to 1.0 for Debt  Incurred on or prior to April
1,  2000  and 5.0 to 1.0 for Debt  Incurred  thereafter,  or (ii) the  Company's
Consolidated  Capital Ratio as of the most recent available  quarterly or annual
balance sheet,  after giving pro forma effect to the Incurrence of such Debt and
any other Debt  Incurred or repaid since such balance sheet date and the receipt
and application of the proceeds thereof, is less than 2.0 to 1.0.

                  (b) Notwithstanding the foregoing limitation,  the Company and
any Restricted  Subsidiary may Incur any and all of the following (each of which
shall be given independent effect):

     (i) Debt under the Securities, this Indenture and any Restricted Subsidiary
Guarantee;

     (ii) (A)Debt Incurred  subsequent to March 31, 1997 under Credit Facilities
in an  aggregate  principal  amount at any time  outstanding  not to exceed $150
million plus  (B)Debt  Incurred  subsequent  to March 31, 1997 under one or more
Credit Facilities that are revolving credit facilities in an aggregate principal
amount at any time  outstanding  not to exceed the greater of (x)$100 million or
(y)85% of Eligible Receivables;

     (iii) Purchase Money Debt,  provided that the amount of such Purchase Money
Debt  does  not  exceed  100%  of the  cost of the  construction,  installation,
acquisition or improvement of the applicable Telecommunications Assets;

     (iv) Debt owed by the Company to any  Restricted  Subsidiary of the Company
or Debt owed by a  Restricted  Subsidiary  of the  Company  to the  Company or a
Restricted  Subsidiary of the Company;  provided,  however, that upon either (x)
the transfer or other  disposition by such Restricted  Subsidiary or the Company
of any  Debt so  permitted  to a  Person  other  than  the  Company  or  another
Restricted  Subsidiary of the Company or (y)the  issuance (other than directors'
qualifying  shares),  sale,  lease,  transfer or other  disposition of shares of
Capital  Stock  (including  by  consolidation  or  merger)  of  such  Restricted
Subsidiary  to a Person  other  than the  Company  or  another  such  Restricted
Subsidiary,  the provisions of this clause (iv) shall no longer be applicable to
such Debt and such Debt  shall be deemed  to have been  Incurred  by the  issuer
thereof at the time of such transfer or other disposition;

     (v) Debt Incurred to renew, extend,  refinance,  defease or refund (each, a
"refinancing") the Securities,  notes issued under the Senior Note Indentures or
Debt of the Company Incurred  pursuant to clause (iii) of this paragraph (b), in
an aggregate  principal  amount not to exceed the aggregate  principal amount of
and accrued  interest on the Debt so  refinanced  plus the amount of any premium
required to be paid in

NYDOCS01/571795 3







connection with such refinancing pursuant to the terms of the Debt so refinanced
or the amount of any premium reasonably  determined by the Board of Directors as
necessary to accomplish such refinancing by means of a tender offer or privately
negotiated  repurchase,  plus the expenses of the Company Incurred in connection
with such refinancing;  provided,  however,  that Debt the proceeds of which are
used to refinance the  Securities or Debt which is pari passu to the  Securities
or Debt which is subordinate in right of payment to the Securities shall only be
permitted  under  this  clause (v) if (A)in the case of any  refinancing  of the
Securities or Debt which is pari passu to the Securities,  the refinancing  Debt
is made pari passu to the Securities or constitutes  Subordinated  Debt, and, in
the  case  of  any  refinancing  of  Subordinated  Debt,  the  refinancing  Debt
constitutes  Subordinated  Debt, and (B)in any case, the refinancing Debt by its
terms,  or by the terms of any  agreement or  instrument  pursuant to which such
Debt is issued,  (x)does not provide for  payments of  principal of such Debt at
Stated Maturity or by way of a sinking fund applicable  thereto or by way of any
mandatory  redemption,  defeasance,  retirement  or  repurchase  thereof  by the
Company (including any redemption,  retirement or repurchase which is contingent
upon events or circumstances, but excluding any retirement required by virtue of
the  acceleration  of any  payment  with  respect to such Debt upon any event of
default thereunder), in each case prior to the time the same are required by the
terms of the Debt being  refinanced,  and (y)does not permit redemption or other
retirement  (including  pursuant to an offer to purchase made by the Company) of
such Debt at the  option of the  holder  thereof  prior to the time the same are
required by the terms of the Debt being  refinanced,  other than a redemption or
other retirement at the option of the holder of such Debt (including pursuant to
an offer to purchase made by the Company) which is conditioned  upon a change of
control  pursuant to provisions  substantially  similar to those described under
Section1010;

     (vi) Debt  consisting of Permitted  Interest  Rate and Currency  Protection
Agreements;

     (vii)  Debt  secured  by  Receivables  originated  by  the  Company  or any
Restricted Subsidiary and related assets, provided that such Debt is nonrecourse
to the Company and any of its other Restricted Subsidiaries and provided further
that  Receivables  shall  not be  available  at any time to  secure  Debt of the
Company under this clause (vii) to the extent that they are used at such time as
the basis for the  Incurrence  of Debt in excess  of $100  million  pursuant  to
clause (ii)(B)(y) of this paragraph (b); and

     (viii) Debt not otherwise  permitted to be Incurred pursuant to clauses (i)
through (vii) above,  which,  together with any other  outstanding Debt Incurred
pursuant to this clause (viii), has an aggregate  principal amount not in excess
of $25 million at any time outstanding.

NYDOCS01/571795 3







     SECTION  1012.  Limitation  on  Debt  and  Preferred  Stock  of  Restricted
Subsidiaries.

                  The Company shall not permit any Restricted Subsidiary that is
not a Guarantor  to Incur any Debt or issue any  Preferred  Stock except any and
all of the following (each of which shall be given independent effect):

     (i) Restricted Subsidiary Guarantees;

     (ii) Debt of Restricted  Subsidiaries under Credit Facilities  permitted to
be Incurred pursuant to clause (ii) of paragraph (b) of Section 1011;

     (iii)  Purchase  Money  Debt of  Restricted  Subsidiaries  permitted  to be
Incurred pursuant to clause (iii) of paragraph (b) of Section 1011;

     (iv) Debt owed by a Restricted  Subsidiary of the Company to the Company or
a Restricted  Subsidiary  of the Company  permitted  to be Incurred  pursuant to
clause (iv) of paragraph (b) of Section 1011;

     (v) Debt of Restricted  Subsidiaries  consisting of Permitted Interest Rate
and Currency Protection  Agreements  permitted to be Incurred pursuant to clause
(vi) of paragraph (b) of Section 1011;

     (vi) Debt of Restricted  Subsidiaries secured by Receivables  originated by
the Company or any  Restricted  Subsidiary  and related  assets  permitted to be
Incurred pursuant to clause (vii) of paragraph (b) of Section 1011;

     (vii) Debt of Restricted  Subsidiaries permitted to be Incurred pursuant to
clause (viii) of paragraph (b) of Section 1011;

     (viii)  Preferred  Stock  issued to and held by the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary;

     (ix) Debt Incurred or Preferred  Stock issued by a Person prior to the time
(A)such  Person became a Restricted  Subsidiary,  (B)such  Person merges into or
consolidates with a Restricted  Subsidiary or (C)another  Restricted  Subsidiary
merges into or  consolidates  with such Person (in a  transaction  in which such
Person becomes a Restricted  Subsidiary),  which Debt or Preferred Stock was not
Incurred or issued in anticipation of such transaction and was outstanding prior
to such transaction; and


NYDOCS01/571795 3







     (x) Debt or  Preferred  Stock which is  exchanged  for, or the  proceeds of
which are used to renew, extend, refinance,  defease, refund or redeem, any Debt
of a Restricted  Subsidiary permitted to be Incurred pursuant to clause (iii) of
this  Section 1012 or any Debt or  Preferred  Stock of a  Restricted  Subsidiary
permitted  to be Incurred  pursuant to clause (ix) of this  Section 1012 (or any
extension or renewal  thereof) (for purposes  hereof,  a  "refinancing"),  in an
aggregate  principal  amount,  in  the  case  of  Debt,  or  with  an  aggregate
liquidation  preference,  in the case of  Preferred  Stock,  not to  exceed  the
aggregate   principal  amount  of  the  Debt  so  refinanced  or  the  aggregate
liquidation preference of the Preferred Stock so refinanced,  plus the amount of
any premium required to be paid in connection with such refinancing  pursuant to
the terms of the Debt or  Preferred  Stock so  refinanced  or the  amount of any
premium  reasonably  determined by the Company as necessary to  accomplish  such
refinancing by means of a tender offer or privately negotiated repurchase,  plus
the amount of expenses of the Company and the applicable  Restricted  Subsidiary
Incurred in  connection  therewith,  and provided  the Debt or  Preferred  Stock
Incurred or issued upon such  refinancing,  by its terms, or by the terms of any
agreement  or  instrument  pursuant  to which  such Debt or  Preferred  Stock is
Incurred  or  issued,  (x)  does  not  provide  for  payments  of  principal  or
liquidation  value at the Stated  Maturity of such Debt or Preferred Stock or by
way of a sinking fund  applicable  to such Debt or Preferred  Stock or by way of
any mandatory redemption,  defeasance,  retirement or repurchase of such Debt or
Preferred  Stock by the  Company or any  Restricted  Subsidiary  (including  any
redemption,  retirement  or  repurchase  which  is  contingent  upon  events  or
circumstances,  but excluding any retirement  required by virtue of acceleration
of such Debt upon an event of  default  thereunder),  in each case  prior to the
time the same are  required  by the terms of the Debt or  Preferred  Stock being
refinanced  and (y) does not permit  redemption or other  retirement  (including
pursuant to an offer to purchase made by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary)
of such Debt or Preferred Stock at the option of the holder thereof prior to the
Stated  Maturity of the Debt or Preferred Stock being  refinanced,  other than a
redemption  or other  retirement  at the  option  of the  holder of such Debt or
Preferred Stock (including  pursuant to an offer to purchase made by the Company
or a Restricted  Subsidiary)  which is conditioned upon the change of control of
the Company pursuant to provisions  substantially  similar to those contained in
Section1010,  and  provided  further  that,  in  the  case  of any  exchange  or
redemption of Preferred Stock of a Restricted  Subsidiary,  such Preferred Stock
may only be exchanged for or redeemed with  Preferred  Stock of such  Restricted
Subsidiary.

                  SECTION 1013.  Limitation on Restricted Payments.

                  The Company (i) shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted
Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly,  declare or pay any dividend, or make any
distribution,  in  respect  of its  Capital  Stock  or to the  holders  thereof,
excluding any dividends or distributions which are

NYDOCS01/571795 3







made solely to the Company or a Restricted  Subsidiary  (and, if such Restricted
Subsidiary is not a Wholly Owned Subsidiary,  to the other  stockholders of such
Restricted  Subsidiary  on a pro rata basis) or any  dividends or  distributions
payable solely in shares of its Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) or
in options,  warrants or other  rights to acquire its Capital  Stock (other than
Disqualified  Stock);  (ii)shall  not,  and  shall  not  permit  any  Restricted
Subsidiary to, purchase,  redeem or otherwise retire or acquire for value (x)any
Capital Stock of the Company, any Restricted Subsidiary or any Related Person of
the Company (other than a permitted refinancing) or (y) any options, warrants or
rights to  purchase  or acquire  shares of  Capital  Stock of the  Company,  any
Restricted  Subsidiary  or any Related  Person of the Company or any  securities
convertible  or  exchangeable  into shares of Capital Stock of the Company,  any
Restricted  Subsidiary  or any  Related  Person  of the  Company  (other  than a
permitted refinancing),  except, in any such case, any such purchase, redemption
or  retirement  or  acquisition  for value paid to the  Company or a  Restricted
Subsidiary  (or,  in the  event  of  any  such  purchase,  redemption  or  other
retirement or acquisition for value with respect to a Restricted Subsidiary that
is  not  a  Wholly  Owned  Subsidiary,  paid  to  the  Company  or a  Restricted
Subsidiary,  or to the other stockholders of such Restricted  Subsidiary that is
not a Wholly Owned  Subsidiary,  on a pro rata basis);  (iii) shall not make, or
permit any  Restricted  Subsidiary to make,  any  Investment in, or payment on a
Guarantee  of any  obligation  of,  any  Person,  other  than the  Company  or a
Restricted  Subsidiary;  and (iv) shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted
Subsidiary  to,  redeem,  defease,  repurchase,  retire or otherwise  acquire or
retire for value,  prior to any  scheduled  maturity,  repayment or sinking fund
payment,  Debt of the Company  which is  subordinate  in right of payment to the
Securities  (other  than a permitted  refinancing)  (each of clauses (i) through
(iv) being a "Restricted Payment") if: (1) an Event of Default, or an event that
with the passing of time or the giving of notice,  or both,  would constitute an
Event of Default,  shall have  occurred  and be  continuing,  or (2) upon giving
effect to such Restricted Payment, the Company could not Incur at least $1.00 of
additional  Debt  pursuant to the terms of paragraph (a) of Section 1011, or (3)
upon giving effect to such Restricted  Payment,  the aggregate of all Restricted
Payments  from  March  31,  1997  exceeds  the  sum  of:  (a)50%  of  cumulative
Consolidated Net Income (or, in the event that  Consolidated Net Income shall be
negative,  100% of such  negative  amount) since the end of the last full fiscal
quarter  prior to March 31,  1997  through  the last day of the last full fiscal
quarter  ending at least 45 days prior to the date of such  Restricted  Payment,
(b)plus $5 million,  (c)less,  in the case of any Designation  with respect to a
Restricted Subsidiary that was made after March 31, 1997, an amount equal to the
Designation Amount with respect to such Restricted  Subsidiary,  (d)plus, in the
case of any Revocation  made after March 31, 1997, an amount equal to the lesser
of the  Designation  Amount with respect to the Subsidiary with respect to which
such  Designation  was made or the Fair Market  Value of the  Investment  of the
Company  and its  Restricted  Subsidiaries  in such  Subsidiary  at the  time of
Revocation;  provided,  however,  that the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of
the Company may make any Restricted Payment with the aggregate net cash proceeds
received  after March 31, 1997 as capital  contributions  to the Company or from
the issuance (other than to a Subsidiary) of

NYDOCS01/571795 3







Capital  Stock  (other than  Disqualified  Stock) of the  Company and  warrants,
rights or  options on  Capital  Stock  (other  than  Disqualified  Stock) of the
Company and the principal  amount of Debt of the Company that has been converted
into  Capital  Stock  (other  than  Disqualified  Stock  and  other  than  by  a
Subsidiary) of the Company after March 31, 1997.

                  Notwithstanding the foregoing limitation,  (i) the Company and
any Restricted Subsidiary may make Permitted  Investments;  (ii) the Company may
pay any  dividend on Capital  Stock of any class of the  Company  within 60 days
after the  declaration  thereof if, on the date when the dividend was  declared,
the Company  could have paid such  dividend  in  accordance  with the  foregoing
provisions;  (iii) the Company may  repurchase any shares of its Common Stock or
options to acquire its Common  Stock from Persons who were  formerly  directors,
officers or employees of the Company or any of its  Subsidiaries  or Affiliates,
provided that the aggregate amount of all such repurchases made pursuant to this
clause (iii) shall not exceed $1 million in any  twelve-month  period;  (iv) the
Company and any Restricted Subsidiary may refinance any Debt otherwise permitted
by clause (v) of paragraph  (b) of Section  1011 or clause (x) of Section  1012;
and (v) the Company and any  Restricted  Subsidiary may retire or repurchase any
Capital Stock of the Company or of any Restricted Subsidiary in exchange for, or
out of the  proceeds  of the  substantially  concurrent  sale  (other  than to a
Subsidiary of the Company) of, Capital Stock (other than Disqualified  Stock) of
the Company.

     SECTION  1014.  Limitation  on  Dividend  and  Other  Payment  Restrictions
Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries.

                  (a) The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Restricted
Subsidiary to,  directly or indirectly,  create or otherwise  cause or suffer to
exist or become  effective any  consensual  encumbrance  or  restriction  on the
ability of any Restricted Subsidiary (i) to pay dividends (in cash or otherwise)
or make any other  distributions  in respect of its  Capital  Stock owned by the
Company  or  any  other  Restricted  Subsidiary  or to pay  any  Debt  or  other
obligation owed to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary;  (ii) to make
loans or advances to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary; or (iii) to
transfer  any of its  property or assets to the Company or any other  Restricted
Subsidiary.

                  (b) Notwithstanding the foregoing limitation, the Company may,
and may permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create or otherwise cause or suffer
to exist any such  encumbrance or  restriction  (i) pursuant to any agreement in
effect  on  March  31,  1997;  (ii) any  customary  encumbrance  or  restriction
applicable  to a  Restricted  Subsidiary  that is  contained  in an agreement or
instrument  governing or relating to Debt contained in any Credit  Facilities or
Purchase Money Debt,  provided that the provisions of such agreement  permit the
payment of interest and mandatory payment or prepayment of principal pursuant to
the terms of this  Indenture and the Securities and other Debt that is solely an
obligation  of the  Company,  but  provided  further  that  such  agreement  may
nevertheless contain customary net worth, leverage,

NYDOCS01/571795 3







invested capital and other financial  covenants,  customary  covenants regarding
the  merger  of or sale of all or any  substantial  part  of the  assets  of the
Company or any Restricted  Subsidiary,  customary  restrictions  on transactions
with Affiliates,  and customary subordination  provisions governing Debt owed to
the  Company  or any  Restricted  Subsidiary;  (iii)  pursuant  to an  agreement
relating  to  any  Acquired  Debt,  which  encumbrance  or  restriction  is  not
applicable to any Person, or the properties or assets of any Person,  other than
the Person so  acquired;  (iv)  pursuant  to an  agreement  effecting a renewal,
refunding,  permitted  refinancing or extension of Debt Incurred  pursuant to an
agreement  referred  to in  clause  (i),  (ii) or (iii) of this  paragraph  (b),
provided,  however,  that the provisions  contained in such renewal,  refunding,
permitted  refinancing or extension  agreement  relating to such  encumbrance or
restriction are no more  restrictive in any material respect than the provisions
contained in the agreement the subject thereof;  (v) in the case of clause (iii)
of paragraph  (a) of this Section 1014,  restrictions  contained in any security
agreement (including a Capital Lease Obligation) securing Debt of the Company or
a Restricted  Subsidiary  otherwise permitted under this Indenture,  but only to
the extent such  restrictions  restrict the transfer of the property  subject to
such  security  agreement;  (vi) in the case of clause (iii) of paragraph (a) of
this  Section  1014,  customary  nonassignment  provisions  entered  into in the
ordinary  course of  business  in  leases  and other  agreements  and  customary
restrictions  contained in asset sale  agreements  limiting the transfer of such
property or assets pending the closing of such sale;  (vii) any restriction with
respect to a Restricted  Subsidiary  imposed  pursuant to an agreement which has
been entered into for the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of the
Capital  Stock  or  assets  of such  Restricted  Subsidiary,  provided  that the
consummation  of such  transaction  would not result in a Default or an Event of
Default, that such restriction terminates if such transaction is not consummated
and that the consummation or abandonment of such  transaction  occurs within one
year of the date such agreement was entered into;  (viii) pursuant to applicable
law; and (ix) pursuant to this Indenture, the Securities, notes issued under the
Senior Note Indentures and the Senior Note Indentures.

                  SECTION 1015.  Limitation on Liens.

                  The  Company  shall not,  and shall not permit any  Restricted
Subsidiary  to,  Incur or  suffer to exist  any Lien on or with  respect  to any
property or assets now owned or acquired after March 31, 1997 to secure any Debt
without  making,  or  causing  such  Restricted  Subsidiary  to make,  effective
provision for securing the  Securities (x) equally and ratably with such Debt as
to such property for so long as such Debt will be so secured or (y) in the event
such Debt is Debt of the Company which is subordinate in right of payment to the
Securities, prior to such Debt as to such property for so long as such Debt will
be so secured.

                  The  foregoing  restrictions  shall not  apply  to:  (i) Liens
existing on March 31, 1997 and securing Debt outstanding on March 31, 1997; (ii)
Liens in favor of the  Company  or any  Restricted  Subsidiary;  (iii)  Liens to
secure the Securities; (iv) Liens to secure Restricted

NYDOCS01/571795 3







Subsidiary  Guarantees;  (v)  Liens  to  secure  Debt  under  Credit  Facilities
permitted  to be Incurred  pursuant to clause (ii) of  paragraph  (b) of Section
1011;  (vi)Liens  on real or personal  property  of the Company or a  Restricted
Subsidiary constructed,  installed,  acquired or constituting  improvements made
after the date of original  issuance of the Securities to secure  Purchase Money
Debt  permitted  to be Incurred  pursuant to clause  (iii) of  paragraph  (b) of
Section  1011,  provided,  however,  that (a) the  principal  amount of any Debt
secured by such a Lien does not exceed  100% of such  purchase  price or cost of
construction,  installation or improvement of the property subject to such Lien,
(b) such Lien attaches to such  property  prior to, at the time of or within 270
days after the  acquisition,  the completion of  construction,  installation  or
improvement or the  commencement of operation of such property and (c) such Lien
does not  extend  to or cover  any  property  other  than the  specific  item of
property (or portion thereof) acquired,  constructed,  installed or constituting
the  improvements  financed by the proceeds of such Purchase  Money Debt;  (vii)
Liens to secure Acquired Debt, provided, however, that (a) such Lien attaches to
the acquired  asset prior to the time of the  acquisition  of such asset and (b)
such Lien does not extend to or cover any other  asset;  (viii)  Liens to secure
Debt Incurred to extend,  renew,  refinance or refund (or successive  extensions
renewals,  refinancings or refundings), in whole or in part, Debt secured by any
Lien referred to in the foregoing clauses (i), (iii),  (iv), (v), (vi) and (vii)
of this Section 1015 so long as such Lien does not extend to any other  property
and the principal amount of Debt so secured is not increased except as otherwise
permitted  under  clause (v) of  paragraph  (b) of Section 1011 or clause (x) of
Section 1012;  (ix) Liens to secure debt  consisting of Permitted  Interest Rate
and Currency Protection  Agreements  permitted to be Incurred pursuant to clause
(vi) of  paragraph  (b) of Section  1011;  (x) Liens to secure  Debt  secured by
Receivables  permitted to be Incurred  pursuant to clause (vii) of paragraph (b)
of Section 1011; (xi) Liens to secure Debt of Restricted  Subsidiaries permitted
to be Incurred pursuant to clause (viii) of paragraph (b) of Section 1011; (xii)
Liens not otherwise  permitted by the  foregoing  clauses (i) through (xi) in an
amount  not to exceed 5% of the  Company's  Consolidated  Tangible  Assets;  and
(xiii) Permitted Liens.

     SECTION 1016.  Limitation on Issuances of Certain  Guarantees  by, and Debt
Securities of, Restricted Subsidiaries.

                  The Company shall not (i)permit any Restricted  Subsidiary to,
directly or  indirectly,  guarantee  any Debt  Securities of the Company or (ii)
permit any Restricted  Subsidiary to issue any Debt Securities unless, in either
such case, such  Restricted  Subsidiary  simultaneously  executes and delivers a
Restricted  Subsidiary  Guarantee  providing  for a Guarantee  of payment of the
Securities.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  SECTION 1017.  Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions.

                  The  Company  shall not,  and shall not permit any  Restricted
Subsidiary  to,  directly  or  indirectly,  enter  into,  assume,  Guarantee  or
otherwise  become  liable with  respect to any Sale and  Leaseback  Transaction,
other than a Sale and Leaseback  Transaction between the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary  on the one hand and a  Restricted  Subsidiary  or the Company on the
other  hand,  unless (i) the  Company  or such  Restricted  Subsidiary  would be
entitled to Incur a Lien to secure Debt by reason of the  provisions  of Section
1015,  equal in  amount  to the  Attributable  Value  of the Sale and  Leaseback
Transaction,  without  equally and ratably  securing the  Securities and (ii)the
Sale and Leaseback Transaction is treated as an Asset Disposition and all of the
conditions of Section 1018 (including the provisions  concerning the application
of Net Available Proceeds) are satisfied with respect to such Sale and Leaseback
Transaction,  treating  all of the  consideration  received  in  such  Sale  and
Leaseback  Transaction  as Net  Available  Proceeds for purposes of such Section
1018.

                  SECTION 1018.  Limitation on Asset Dispositions.

                  The  Company  shall not,  and shall not permit any  Restricted
Subsidiary  to,  make any  Asset  Disposition  unless:  (i) the  Company  or the
Restricted  Subsidiary,  as the case  may be,  receives  consideration  for such
disposition  at least  equal to the Fair  Market  Value for the  assets  sold or
disposed of as  determined by the Board of Directors in good faith and evidenced
by a Board  Resolution;  and (ii) at  least  75% of the  consideration  for such
disposition  consists of cash or Cash  Equivalents  or the assumption of Debt of
the Company (other than Debt that is  subordinated  to the Securities) or of the
Restricted Subsidiary and release from all liability on the Debt assumed. If the
aggregate of Net Available  Proceeds within any  twelve-month  period exceeds $5
million,  then all such Net Available  Proceeds shall be applied within 360 days
of the last such Asset  Disposition  (1) first,  to the  permanent  repayment or
reduction of Debt then outstanding under any Credit Facility, to the extent such
agreements  would  require such  application  or prohibit  payments  pursuant to
clause (2)  following;  (2) second,  to the extent of  remaining  Net  Available
Proceeds, to make an Offer to Purchase Outstanding Securities at a price in cash
equal to 100% of the  principal  amount of the  Securities  on the Purchase Date
plus accrued and unpaid interest  thereon and premium,  if any, to such Purchase
Date and,  to the extent  required by the terms  thereof,  any other Debt of the
Company that is pari passu with the  Securities  at a price no greater than 100%
of the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest to the purchase
date (or 100% of the  accreted  value  plus  accrued  and  unpaid  interest  and
premium,  if any, to the purchase  date in the case of original  issue  discount
Debt);  (3)  third,  to the  extent  of any  remaining  Net  Available  Proceeds
following  the  completion  of the Offer to Purchase,  to the repayment of other
Debt of the Company or Debt of a Restricted Subsidiary,  to the extent permitted
under the terms  thereof;  and (4) fourth,  to the extent of any  remaining  Net
Available  Proceeds,  to any other use as determined by the Company which is not
otherwise prohibited by this Indenture.

NYDOCS01/571795 3







     SECTION  1019.  Limitation  on  Issuances  and  Sales of  Capital  Stock of
Restricted Subsidiaries.

                  The  Company  shall not,  and shall not permit any  Restricted
Subsidiary to, issue, transfer,  convey, sell or otherwise dispose of any shares
of  Capital  Stock of a  Restricted  Subsidiary  or  securities  convertible  or
exchangeable  into,  or options,  warrants,  rights or any other  interest  with
respect to,  Capital  Stock of a Restricted  Subsidiary to any Person other than
the Company or a Restricted  Subsidiary except: (i) a sale of all of the Capital
Stock of such  Restricted  Subsidiary  owned by the Company  and any  Restricted
Subsidiary  that complies with the provisions of Section 1018 to the extent such
provisions  apply;  (ii)  in a  transaction  that  results  in  such  Restricted
Subsidiary  becoming a Permitted  Joint Venture,  provided (x) such  transaction
complies with the provisions of Section1018 to the extent such provisions  apply
and (y)the Company's remaining  Investment in such Permitted Joint Venture would
have been  permitted as a new  Investment  under the provisions of Section 1013;
(iii)the transfer,  conveyance,  sale or other disposition of shares required by
applicable  law  or  regulation;   (iv)if  required,  the  issuance,   transfer,
conveyance,  sale or other disposition of directors'  qualifying  shares; or (v)
Disqualified  Stock  issued  in  exchange  for,  or upon  conversion  of, or the
proceeds  of the  issuance  of which are used to redeem,  refinance,  replace or
refund,  shares of Disqualified  Stock of such Restricted  Subsidiary,  provided
that the amounts of the redemption  obligations of such Disqualified Stock shall
not exceed the amounts of the redemption  obligations of, and such  Disqualified
Stock shall have  redemption  obligations no earlier than those required by, the
Disqualified Stock being exchanged, converted, redeemed, refinanced, replaced or
refunded.

     SECTION 1020. Transactions with Affiliates and Related Persons.

                  The  Company  shall not,  and shall not permit any  Restricted
Subsidiary to, enter into any  transaction  (or series of related  transactions)
with an Affiliate or Related  Person of the Company (other than the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary),  including any Investment, unless such transaction is on
terms no less favorable to the Company or such Restricted  Subsidiary than those
that could be obtained in a comparable  arm's-length  transaction with an entity
that is not an Affiliate or Related  Person and is in the best  interests of the
Company  or  such  Restricted  Subsidiary,  provided  that  the  Company  or any
Restricted Subsidiary may enter into: (i) transactions pursuant to the Company's
tax sharing agreement entered into with Anschutz Company existing at the date of
execution of this Indenture  described under the caption "Certain  Relationships
and Related  Transactions"  in the Companys  annual  report on Form 10-K for the
year  ended  December  31,  1997,  incorporated  by  reference  in the  Offering
Memorandum, provided that any amendment of, supplement to or substitute for such
agreement  is on  terms  that  are no  less  favorable  to the  Company  or such
Restricted Subsidiary than such existing agreement; (ii)transactions pursuant to
employee compensation  arrangements  approved by the Board of Directors,  either
directly or indirectly; and

NYDOCS01/571795 3







(iii)Receivables  Sales  between the Company or a Restricted  Subsidiary  and an
Affiliate  of the  Company or such  Restricted  Subsidiary,  provided  that such
Receivables  Sales  satisfy  the  provisions  of clauses (i) and (ii) of Section
1018. For any  transaction  that involves in excess of $10 million but less than
or equal to $15 million,  the Company  shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate stating that the transaction  satisfies the above criteria.  For any
transaction  that  involves  in  excess  of  $15  million,  a  majority  of  the
disinterested  members  of the  Board  of  Directors  shall  determine  that the
transaction satisfies the above criteria and shall evidence such a determination
by a Board  Resolution  or, in the event that there  shall not be  disinterested
members of the Board of Directors with respect to the  transaction,  the Company
shall  file with the  Trustee a written  opinion  stating  that the  transaction
satisfies  the  above  criteria  from an  investment  banking  firm of  national
standing in the United States which,  in the good faith judgment of the Board of
Directors,  is  independent  with respect to the Company and its  Affiliates and
qualified to perform such task.

     SECTION 1021. Limitation on Designations of Unrestricted Subsidiaries.

                  The Company shall not designate any  Subsidiary of the Company
(other than a newly created  Subsidiary in which no  Investment  has  previously
been made) as an Unrestricted Subsidiary (a "Designation") unless:

                  (a) no Default or Event of Default  shall have occurred and be
         continuing at the time of or after giving effect to such Designation;

                  (b) immediately after giving effect to such  Designation,  the
         Company  would be able to Incur  $1.00 of Debt under  paragraph  (a) of
         Section 1011; and

                  (c) the Company would not be prohibited under any provision of
         this  Indenture  from making an Investment  at the time of  Designation
         (assuming  the  effectiveness  of such  Designation)  in an amount (the
         "Designation  Amount")  equal  to the  Fair  Market  Value  of the  net
         Investment  of the Company or any other  Restricted  Subsidiary in such
         Restricted Subsidiary on such date.

                  In the event of any such  Designation,  the  Company  shall be
deemed to have made an Investment  constituting a Restricted Payment pursuant to
Section 1013 for all purposes of this Indenture in the  Designation  Amount.  In
addition,  neither the Company nor any Restricted  Subsidiary  shall at any time
(x) provide credit support for, or a guarantee of, any Debt of any  Unrestricted
Subsidiary  (including any undertaking,  agreement or instrument evidencing such
Debt),  provided that the Company or a Restricted  Subsidiary may pledge Capital
Stock or Debt of any  Unrestricted  Subsidiary on a nonrecourse  basis such that
the pledgee  has no claim  whatsoever  against the Company  other than to obtain
such pledged property,  (y) be directly or indirectly liable for any Debt of any
Unrestricted Subsidiary or (z)

NYDOCS01/571795 3







be directly or  indirectly  liable for any Debt which  provides  that the holder
thereof may (upon notice,  lapse of time or both)  declare a default  thereon or
cause the  payment  thereof  to be  accelerated  or  payable  prior to its final
scheduled  maturity upon the occurrence of a default with respect to any Debt of
any  Unrestricted  Subsidiary  (including any right to take  enforcement  action
against such Unrestricted  Subsidiary),  except in the case of clause (x) or (y)
to the extent permitted under Section 1013 or 1020.

                  A  Designation  may be  revoked  (a  "Revocation")  by a Board
Resolution, provided that the Company shall not make any Revocation unless:

                  (a) no Default or Event of Default  shall have occurred and be
         continuing at the time of and after giving  effect to such  Revocation;
         and

                  (b)  all  Liens  and  Debt  of  such  Unrestricted  Subsidiary
         outstanding immediately following such Revocation would, if Incurred at
         such time,  have been  permitted  to be  Incurred  at such time for all
         purposes of this Indenture.

                  All  Designations  and Revocations  must be evidenced by Board
Resolutions certifying compliance with the foregoing provisions.

     SECTION 1022.  No Repayment of Existing  Parent  Company  Advances with the
Proceeds of the Securities.

                  The Company shall not apply any portion of the proceeds of the
offering of the Securities  toward the repayment of advances made to the Company
or any of its  Subsidiaries by any parent company of the Company  outstanding at
the date of execution of this Indenture.

                  SECTION 1023.  Waiver of Certain Covenants.

                  The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with
any term,  provision  or  condition  set  forth in  Sections1007  through  1022,
inclusive,  if before or after the time for such  compliance  the  Holders of at
least a majority in principal  amount of the Outstanding  Securities,  by Act of
such Holders,  waive such compliance in such instance with such term,  provision
or condition,  but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such term, provision
or condition  except to the extent so expressly  waived,  and, until such waiver
shall become  effective,  the  obligations  of the Company and the duties of the
Trustee in respect of any such term, provision or condition shall remain in full
force and effect.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  SECTION 1024.  Trustee Not to Monitor Performance.

                  The  Trustee  shall have no duty to  confirm  or  monitor  the
performance by the Company of its duties  pursuant to the covenants set forth in
this Article Ten.

                  SECTION 1025.  Suspended Covenants.

                  During any period of time (a "Suspension Period") that (i) the
ratings  assigned to the  Securities by both the Rating  Agencies are Investment
Grade  Ratings  and (ii) no  Default  or Event of Default  has  occurred  and is
continuing  under this  Indenture,  the Company and its Restricted  Subsidiaries
shall not be subject to the terms of Sections  1011,  1012,  1013,  1014,  1016,
1018, 1019,  1020,  clause (ii) of Section 1017 and paragraph (4) of Section 801
(collectively, the "Suspended Covenants"). In the event that the Company and its
Restricted  Subsidiaries are not subject to the Suspended Covenants with respect
to the Securities  for any period of time as a result of the preceding  sentence
and,  subsequently,  one or both Rating  Agencies  withdraws or  downgrades  the
ratings assigned to such Securities below the required Investment Grade Ratings,
then the  Company  and its  Restricted  Subsidiaries  will  thereafter  again be
subject to the  Suspended  Covenants and  compliance  with respect to Restricted
Payments made after the time of such  withdrawal or downgrade will be calculated
in accordance  with the  provisions of Section 1013 as if such covenant had been
in effect  since the date of execution of this  Indenture.  Notwithstanding  the
foregoing,  neither  (a)  the  continued  existence,  after  the  date  of  such
withdrawal or downgrade,  of facts and  circumstances  or obligations  that were
Incurred or otherwise came into existence during a Suspension Period nor (b) the
performance of any such  obligations,  shall constitute a breach of any covenant
set forth in this  Indenture or cause a Default or Event of Default  thereunder;
provided that (1) the Company and its Restricted  Subsidiaries  did not Incur or
otherwise  cause  such  facts  and  circumstances  or  obligations  to  exist in
anticipation  of a withdrawal or downgrade by one or both of the Rating Agencies
below an Investment  Grade Rating and (2)the  Company  reasonably  believed that
such  Incurrence  or actions would not result in such a withdrawal or downgrade.
For purposes of clauses (1) and (2) in the preceding sentence,  anticipation and
reasonable  belief may be  determined  by the Company and shall be  conclusively
evidenced  by a Board  Resolution  to such  effect  adopted in good faith by the
Board of Directors of the Company. In reaching their determination, the Board of
Directors may, but need not, consult with the Rating Agencies.

NYDOCS01/571795 3








                                 ARTICLE ELEVEN

                            REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES

                  SECTION 1101.  Right of Redemption.

                  The Securities  will be subject to redemption at the option of
the Company,  in whole or in part,  at any time,  upon not less than 30 nor more
than 60 days' prior notice,  at a Redemption Price equal to the principal amount
thereof,  plus accrued and unpaid  interest  thereon,  if any, to the Redemption
Date plus the Applicable Make-Whole Premium.

                  SECTION 1102.  Applicability of Article.

                  Redemption  of  Securities  at the  election of the Company or
otherwise, as permitted or required by any provision of this Indenture, shall be
made in accordance with such provision and this Article.

                  SECTION 1103.  Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee.

                  The election of the Company to redeem any Securities  pursuant
to  Section1101  shall  be  evidenced  by a  Board  Resolution.  In  case of any
redemption at the election of the Company,  the Company shall,  at least 60 days
prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter notice shall
be satisfactory to the Trustee),  notify the Trustee of such Redemption Date and
of the  principal  amount of  Securities to be redeemed and shall deliver to the
Trustee such documentation and records as shall enable the Trustee to select the
Securities to be redeemed pursuant to Section1104.

     SECTION 1104. Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed.

                  If  less  than  all the  Securities  are to be  redeemed,  the
particular  Securities  to be redeemed  shall be selected  not more than 60 days
prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities not
previously called for redemption,  by such method as the Trustee shall deem fair
and  appropriate  and which may  provide for the  selection  for  redemption  of
portions of the principal amount of Securities;  provided, however, that no such
partial  redemption  shall  reduce  the  portion  of the  principal  amount of a
Security not redeemed to less than $1,000.

                  The Trustee  shall  promptly  notify the Company in writing of
the  Securities  selected  for  redemption  and,  in the case of any  Securities
selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.

NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  For  all  purposes  of  this  Indenture,  unless  the  context
otherwise  requires,  all provisions  relating to redemption of Securities shall
relate,  in the case of any Security redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to
the portion of the principal  amount of such Security which has been or is to be
redeemed.

                  SECTION 1105.  Notice of Redemption.

                  Notice of redemption shall be given in the manner provided for
in  Section106  not less than 30 nor more than 60 days  prior to the  Redemption
Date, to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed.

                  Each notice of redemption shall state:

                  (1)      the Redemption Date,

     (2) the  Redemption  Price  and  the  amount  of  accrued  interest  to the
Redemption Date payable as provided in Section1107, if any,

                  (3)  if  less  than  all  Outstanding  Securities  are  to  be
         redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of a partial redemption,
         the principal amount) of the particular Securities to be redeemed,

                  (4) in case any Security is to be redeemed in part only,  that
         on and after the Redemption Date, upon surrender of such Security,  the
         Holder will receive,  without  charge,  a new Security or Securities of
         authorized  denominations  for the principal  amount thereof  remaining
         unredeemed,

                  (5) that on the  Redemption  Date the  Redemption  Price  (and
         accrued interest, if any, to the Redemption Date payable as provided in
         Section1107)  will become due and payable upon each such  Security,  or
         the portion  thereof,  to be redeemed,  and that interest  thereon will
         cease to accrue on and after said date, and

                  (6) the  place  or  places  where  such  Securities  are to be
         presented  and  surrendered  for  payment of the  Redemption  Price and
         accrued interest, if any.

                  Notice of  redemption  of  Securities  to be  redeemed  at the
election  of the  Company  shall be given by the  Company  or, at the  Company's
request, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  SECTION 1106.  Deposit of Redemption Price.

                  Prior to any  Redemption  Date, the Company shall deposit with
the  Trustee  or with a Paying  Agent (or,  if the  Company is acting as its own
Paying Agent,  segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section1003) an amount
of money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, and accrued interest on, all
the Securities which are to be redeemed on that date.

                  SECTION 1107.  Securities Payable on Redemption Date.

                  Notice of  redemption  having  been  given as  aforesaid,  the
Securities  so to be redeemed  shall,  on the  Redemption  Date,  become due and
payable  at the  Redemption  Price  therein  specified  (together  with  accrued
interest,  if any, to the Redemption Date), and from and after such date (unless
the Company  shall  default in the payment of the  Redemption  Price and accrued
interest) such  Securities  shall cease to bear interest.  Upon surrender of any
such Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Security shall
be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price,  together with accrued interest,
if any, to the Redemption Date; provided, however, that installments of interest
whose Stated  Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable to
the  Holders  of  such  Securities,  or  one  or  more  Predecessor  Securities,
registered  as such at the  close  of  business  on the  relevant  Record  Dates
according to their terms and the provisions of Section307.

                  If any  Security  called for  redemption  shall not be so paid
upon  surrender  thereof for  redemption,  the principal  (and premium,  if any)
shall,  until paid,  bear interest from the Redemption Date at the interest rate
borne by the Securities.

                  SECTION 1108.  Securities Redeemed in Part.

                  Any  Security  which is to be  redeemed  only in part shall be
surrendered  at the office or agency of the Company  maintained for such purpose
pursuant to Section1002  (with,  if the Company or the Trustee so requires,  due
endorsement by, or a written  instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the
Company and the Trustee duly  executed by, the Holder  thereof or such  Holder's
attorney duly  authorized in writing),  and the Company shall  execute,  and the
Trustee shall  authenticate  and deliver to the Holder of such Security  without
service charge, a new Security or Securities,  of any authorized denomination as
requested by such Holder, in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange
for  the  unredeemed  portion  of  the  principal  amount  of  the  Security  so
surrendered.


NYDOCS01/571795 3








                                 ARTICLE TWELVE

                       DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

     SECTION 1201. Company's Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.

                  The  Company  may, at its option by Board  Resolution,  at any
time,  with  respect to the  Securities,  elect to have  either  Section1202  or
Section1203 be applied to all  Outstanding  Securities  upon compliance with the
conditions set forth below in this ArticleTwelve.

                  SECTION 1202.  Defeasance and Discharge.

                  Upon the Company's  exercise  under  Section1201 of the option
applicable  to this  Section1202,  the  Company  shall be  deemed  to have  been
discharged  from its obligations  with respect to all Outstanding  Securities on
the date the  conditions set forth in  Section1204  are satisfied  (hereinafter,
"defeasance"). For this purpose, such defeasance means that the Company shall be
deemed to have paid and  discharged the entire  indebtedness  represented by the
Outstanding  Securities,  which shall  thereafter be deemed to be  "Outstanding"
only for the purposes of  Section1205  and the other  Sections of this Indenture
referred to in clauses (A) and (B) below,  and to have  satisfied  all its other
obligations  under such Securities and this Indenture insofar as such Securities
are  concerned  (and the Trustee,  at the expense of the Company,  shall execute
proper instruments acknowledging the same), except for the following which shall
survive until  otherwise  terminated or discharged  hereunder:  (A)the rights of
Holders  of  Outstanding  Securities  to  receive,  solely  from the trust  fund
described in Section1204  and as more fully set forth in such Section,  payments
in respect of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on such Securities
when such  payments are due (but not the Purchase  Price  referred to in Section
1010)  and any  rights of the  Holders  with  respect  to such  amounts,  (B)the
Company's  obligations with respect to such Securities under  Sections304,  305,
306, 1002 and 1003, (C)the rights,  powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the
Trustee  hereunder and (D)this  ArticleTwelve.  Subject to compliance  with this
Article  Twelve,  the Company may  exercise  its option  under this  Section1202
notwithstanding  the prior exercise of its option under Section1203 with respect
to the Securities.

                  SECTION 1203.  Covenant Defeasance.

                  Upon the Company's  exercise  under  Section1201 of the option
applicable  to  this  Section1203,  the  Company  shall  be  released  from  its
obligations  under any covenant  contained in Section801(4)  and in Sections1007
through 1021 with respect to the Outstanding

NYDOCS01/571795 3







Securities  on and after the date the  conditions  set forth below are satisfied
(hereinafter,  "covenant  defeasance"),  and the Securities  shall thereafter be
deemed  not to be  "Outstanding"  for the  purposes  of any  direction,  waiver,
consent or declaration or Act of Holders (and the  consequences  of any thereof)
in connection with such covenants, but shall continue to be deemed "Outstanding"
for all other purposes  hereunder.  For this purpose,  such covenant  defeasance
means that, with respect to the Outstanding Securities,  the Company may omit to
comply with and shall have no  liability  in respect of any term,  condition  or
limitation set forth in any such covenant,  whether  directly or indirectly,  by
reason of any  reference  elsewhere  herein to any such covenant or by reason of
any reference in any such covenant to any other provision herein or in any other
document and such omission to comply shall not  constitute a Default or an Event
of Default  under  Section501(3),  501(4) or 501(5),  but,  except as  specified
above,  the remainder of this Indenture and such Securities  shall be unaffected
thereby.

     SECTION 1204. Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.

                  The following shall be the conditions to application of either
Section1202 or Section1203 to the Outstanding Securities:

                  (1) The Company shall  irrevocably have deposited or caused to
         be  deposited  with the  Trustee  (or another  trustee  satisfying  the
         requirements   of  Section608  who  shall  agree  to  comply  with  the
         provisions  of this  ArticleTwelve  applicable to it) as trust funds in
         trust for the purpose of making the  following  payments,  specifically
         pledged as security  for, and  dedicated  solely to, the benefit of the
         Holders of such  Securities:  (A)money in an amount,  or (B) Government
         Securities  which  through  the  scheduled  payment  of  principal  and
         interest  in  respect  thereof  in  accordance  with  their  terms will
         provide,  not later than one day before the due date of any  payment in
         respect of the Securities,  money in an amount (which,  for the purpose
         of clarification, shall be sufficient to pay such amounts regardless of
         whether any call features in such Government Securities are exercised),
         or (C)a combination thereof, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally
         recognized  firm  of  independent  public  accountants  expressed  in a
         written  certification  thereof  delivered to the  Trustee,  to pay and
         discharge,  and  which  shall  be  applied  by the  Trustee  (or  other
         qualifying  trustee)  to pay  and  discharge,  the  principal  of  (and
         premium,  if any) and  interest on the  Outstanding  Securities  on the
         Stated  Maturity (or Redemption  Date, if applicable) of such principal
         (and premium,  if any) or  installment  of interest;  provided that the
         Trustee shall have been irrevocably instructed in writing to apply such
         money or the proceeds of such  Government  Securities  to said payments
         with respect to the Securities.  Before such a deposit, the Company may
         give to the Trustee,  in accordance with  Section1103,  a notice of its
         election to redeem all of the  Outstanding  Securities at a future date
         in accordance  with  ArticleEleven,  which notice shall be irrevocable.
         Such irrevocable  redemption notice, if given, shall be given effect in
         applying the foregoing.

NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  (2) No  Default  or  Event  of  Default  with  respect  to the
         Securities  shall have  occurred and be  continuing on the date of such
         deposit  or,  insofar  as  paragraphs(8)  and  (9)  of  Section501  are
         concerned,  at any time during the period  ending on the 91st day after
         the date of such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall
         not be deemed satisfied until the expiration of such period).

                  (3) Such defeasance or covenant defeasance shall not result in
         a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture
         or any other material agreement or instrument to which the Company is a
         party or by which it is bound.

                  (4) In the case of an election under Section1202,  the Company
         shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel  stating that
         (x)the  Company has received  from, or there has been published by, the
         Internal Revenue Service a ruling,  or (y)since November 19, 1998 there
         has been a change in the  applicable  federal income tax law, in either
         case to the effect that,  and based  thereon such opinion shall confirm
         that,  the Holders of the  Outstanding  Securities  will not  recognize
         income,  gain or loss for  federal  income tax  purposes as a result of
         such  defeasance  and will be subject to federal income tax on the same
         amounts,  in the same  manner  and at the same times as would have been
         the case if such defeasance had not occurred.

                  (5) In the case of an election under Section1203,  the Company
         shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect
         that (i) the Holders of the  Outstanding  Securities will not recognize
         income,  gain or loss for  federal  income tax  purposes as a result of
         such covenant  defeasance  and will be subject to federal income tax on
         the same  amounts,  in the same  manner  and at the same times as would
         have been the case if such  covenant  defeasance  had not  occurred and
         (ii) the Company's  deposit will not result in the Trust or the Trustee
         being subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

                  (6)  The  Company  shall  have  delivered  to the  Trustee  an
         Officers'  Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all
         conditions  precedent  provided for  relating to either the  defeasance
         under Section1202 or the covenant  defeasance under Section1203 (as the
         case may be) have been complied with.

     SECTION  1205.  Deposited  Money and  Government  Securities  to Be Held in
Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions.

                  Subject  to  the   provisions   of  the  last   paragraph   of
Section1003,  all  money  and  Government  Securities  (including  the  proceeds
thereof) deposited with the Trustee (or other qualifying  trustee,  collectively
for purposes of this  Section1205,  the  "Trustee")  pursuant to  Section1204 in
respect of the Outstanding Securities shall be held in trust and applied by the

NYDOCS01/571795 3







Trustee,  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  such  Securities  and  this
Indenture,  to  the  payment,  either  directly  or  through  any  Paying  Agent
(including  the  Company  acting as its own  Paying  Agent) as the  Trustee  may
determine,  to the Holders of such  Securities of all sums due and to become due
thereon in respect of principal,  premium, if any, and interest,  but such money
need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

                  The  Company  shall  pay and  indemnify  the  Trustee  and (if
applicable) its officers,  directors,  employees and agents against any tax, fee
or other  charge  imposed  on or  assessed  against  the  Government  Securities
deposited  pursuant to  Section1204  or the principal  and interest  received in
respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for
the account of the Holders of the Outstanding Securities.

                  Anything   in   this   Article    Twelve   to   the   contrary
notwithstanding,  the Trustee  shall  deliver or pay to the Company from time to
time upon  Company  Request  any money or  Government  Securities  held by it as
provided in Section1204 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of
independent  public  accountants  expressed in a written  certification  thereof
delivered to the Trustee,  are in excess of the amount  thereof which would then
be required  to be  deposited  to effect an  equivalent  defeasance  or covenant
defeasance, as applicable, in accordance with this Article Twelve.

                  SECTION 1206.  Reinstatement.

                  If the  Trustee  or any  Paying  Agent is  unable to apply any
money in accordance  with  Section1205 by reason of any order or judgment of any
court or governmental authority enjoining,  restraining or otherwise prohibiting
such  application,  then the Company's  obligations under this Indenture and the
Securities  shall be revived and  reinstated  as though no deposit had  occurred
pursuant  to  Section1202  or 1203,  as the case may be,  until such time as the
Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance  with
Section1205;  provided,  however,  that if the  Company  makes  any  payment  of
principal  of,  premium,  if any,  or  interest on any  Security  following  the
reinstatement of its obligations,  the Company shall be subrogated to the rights
of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money held by
the Trustee or Paying Agent.


NYDOCS01/571795 3







                  IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the  parties  hereto  have  caused  this
Indenture  to be duly  executed,  and  their  respective  corporate  seals to be
hereunto affixed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.


                                           QWEST COMMUNICATIONS
                                           INTERNATIONAL INC.


                                           By: /s/______________________________
                                                Title:


Attest:   /s/____________________
         Title:


                                           BANKERS TRUST COMPANY, Trustee


                                           By: /s/______________________________
                                                Title:





NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                       A-1

                                    EXHIBIT A

                            Form of Face of Security

                  [If a Global Security, then insert:] THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL
SECURITY  WITHIN THE  MEANING OF THE  INDENTURE  HEREINAFTER  REFERRED TO AND IS
REGISTERED  IN THE  NAME OF A  DEPOSITORY  OR A  NOMINEE  OF A  DEPOSITORY  OR A
SUCCESSOR   DEPOSITORY.   THIS  SECURITY  IS  NOT  EXCHANGEABLE  FOR  SECURITIES
REGISTERED  IN THE NAME OF A PERSON  OTHER THAN THE  DEPOSITORY  OR ITS  NOMINEE
EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE,  AND NO TRANSFER
OF THIS  SECURITY  (OTHER  THAN A TRANSFER  OF THIS  SECURITY  AS A WHOLE BY THE
DEPOSITORY TO A NOMINEE OF THE  DEPOSITORY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE  DEPOSITORY TO
THE DEPOSITORY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITORY) MAY BE REGISTERED EXCEPT IN
THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE.

                  [If a Global  Security,  then insert:] UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE
IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED  REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A
NEW YORK  CORPORATION  ("DTC"),  TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF
TRANSFER,  EXCHANGE, OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE
NAME OF CEDE & CO.  OR IN SUCH  OTHER  NAME  AS IS  REQUESTED  BY AN  AUTHORIZED
REPRESENTATIVE  OF DTC (AND ANY  PAYMENT  IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER
ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED  REPRESENTATIVE  OF DTC),  ANY TRANSFER,
PLEDGE  OR OTHER  USE  HEREOF  FOR  VALUE OR  OTHERWISE  BY OR TO ANY  PERSON IS
WRONGFUL  INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED  OWNER HEREOF,  CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST
HEREIN.

                  [If a Rule 144A Security,  then insert:] THIS SECURITY HAS NOT
BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES  SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE
"SECURITIES  ACT"),  AND  MAY  NOT  BE  OFFERED,   SOLD,  PLEDGED  OR  OTHERWISE
TRANSFERRED  EXCEPT (A)(1) TO A PERSON WHOM THE SELLER REASONABLY  BELIEVES IS A
QUALIFIED  INSTITUTIONAL  BUYER  WITHIN  THE  MEANING  OF RULE  144A  UNDER  THE
SECURITIES ACT  ("RULE144A") IN A TRANSACTION  MEETING THE  REQUIREMENTS OF RULE
144A, (2) IN AN OFFSHORE  TRANSACTION  MEETING THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF RULE 903 OR
RULE 904 OF  REGULATION  S UNDER  THE  SECURITIES  ACT,  OR (3)  PURSUANT  TO AN
EXEMPTION  FROM  REGISTRATION  UNDER THE  SECURITIES  ACT  PROVIDED  BY RULE 144
THEREUNDER (IF AVAILABLE) AND (B) IN ACCORDANCE  WITH ALL APPLICABLE  SECURITIES
LAWS OF THE STATES OF THE UNITED STATES.



NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                       A-2

                  [If a Regulation S Security,  then  insert:] THIS SECURITY HAS
NOT BEEN REGISTERED  UNDER THE UNITED STATES  SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED
(THE  "SECURITIES  ACT"),  AND,  PRIOR  TO THE  EXPIRATION  OF THE  DISTRIBUTION
COMPLIANCE  PERIOD  (DEFINED AS 40 DAYS AFTER THE ISSUE DATE WITH RESPECT TO THE
SECURITIES),  MAY NOT BE OFFERED,  SOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT
(A)(1) IN AN OFFSHORE  TRANSACTION  IN  ACCORDANCE  WITH RULE 903 OR RULE 904 OF
REGULATION  S OR (2) TO A  PERSON  WHOM  THE  SELLER  REASONABLY  BELIEVES  IS A
QUALIFIED  INSTITUTIONAL  BUYER  WITHIN  THE  MEANING  OF RULE  144A  UNDER  THE
SECURITIES ACT ("RULE 144A") IN A TRANSACTION  MEETING THE  REQUIREMENTS OF RULE
144A, AND (B) IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF THE STATES OF
THE UNITED STATES.


                              QWEST COMMUNICATIONS
                               INTERNATIONAL INC.

                      7.25% [Series B] Senior Note Due 2008

                                                          CUSIP: ________

No. __________                                             $_____________


                  Qwest   Communications    International   Inc.,   a   Delaware
corporation  (herein  called the  "Company",  which term  includes any successor
Person under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received,  hereby
promises to pay to _________________ or registered assigns, the principal sum of
____________________   Dollars  [if  a  Global  Security,  then  insert:  (which
principal  amount may from time to time be  increased or decreased to such other
principal amounts which,  taken together with the principal amounts of all other
Outstanding  Securities,  shall not exceed  $300,000,000 in the aggregate at any
time, by adjustments made on the records of the Trustee hereinafter  referred to
in accordance  with the Indenture)] on November 1, 2008, at the office or agency
of the Company referred to below, and to pay cash interest thereon, semiannually
on May 1 and November 1 in each year,  commencing on May 1, 1999,  accruing from
November  27, 1998 or from the most recent  Interest  Payment Date to which cash
interest  has been paid or duly  provided  for,  at the rate of 7.25% per annum,
until the  principal  hereof is paid or duly  provided  for,  and (to the extent
lawful) to pay on demand  interest on any overdue  interest at the rate borne by
the Securities from the date on which such
- --------
         Include only for Exchange Securities.


NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                       A-3

overdue  interest  becomes payable to the date payment of such interest has been
made or duly provided for;  provided,  however,  that if (i) (a) the Company has
not filed a registration  statement  (the  "Registration  Statement")  under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the  "Securities  Act") within 90 days after
November 27, 1998, with respect to a registered offer (the "Exchange  Offer") to
exchange  this  Security  for a security  (an  "Exchange  Security")  with terms
identical in all material  respects to this Security  (except that such security
will  not  contain  terms  with  respect  to  registration  rights  or  transfer
restrictions,   and  provisions   regarding  interest  and  Liquidated  Interest
(described  below) will be modified or eliminated,  as appropriate),  or (b) the
Registration  Statement  has not been declared  effective  within 150 days after
November 27, 1998, or (c) the Exchange Offer has not been consummated within 180
days after November 27, 1998; or (ii) in lieu thereof, the Company has not filed
a shelf registration  statement (the "Shelf  Registration  Statement") under the
Securities Act within 210 days after November 27, 1998, covering resales of this
Security and such Shelf Registration  Statement has not been declared effective;
or (iii)  either  the  Registration  Statement  or,  if  applicable,  the  Shelf
Registration  Statement is filed and  declared  effective  but shall  thereafter
cease to be effective or usable  (subject to certain  exceptions)  in connection
with resales of this  Security or Exchange  Securities  in  accordance  with and
during  the  periods  specified  in the  Registration  Agreement  without  being
succeeded  promptly by an additional  registration  statement filed and declared
effective,  in each case (i)  through  (iii) upon the terms and  conditions  set
forth in the Registration  Agreement (each such event referred to in clauses (i)
through (iii), a "Registration Default"),  then additional interest ("Liquidated
Interest")  will accrue (in addition to any stated  interest on the  Securities)
from and including the date on which any such  Registration  Default shall occur
to but  excluding the date on which all  Registration  Defaults have been cured.
Liquidated  Interest  will be payable  at a rate per annum  equal to 0.5% on the
principal  amount  of  the  Securities  during  the  90-day  period  immediately
following the occurrence of any Registration Default and shall increase by 0.25%
per  annum  of the  principal  amount  of the  Securities  at  the  end of  each
subsequent  90-day  period,  but in no event shall such rates  exceed  2.00% per
annum in the  aggregate  regardless  of the  number  of  Registration  Defaults.
Accrued Liquidated Interest, if any, shall be paid in cash semiannually on May 1
and November 1 in each year; and the amount of accrued Liquidated Interest shall
be determined on the basis of the number of days actually  elapsed.  Any accrued
and unpaid interest  (including  Liquidated  Interest) on this Security upon the
issuance of an Exchange Security in exchange for this Security shall cease to be
payable to the Holder  hereof but such  accrued and unpaid  interest  (including
Liquidated Interest) shall be payable on the next Interest Payment Date for such
Exchange Security to the Holder thereof on the related Regular Record Date.]

- --------
         Include  for  Initial   Securities   and,  if  there  has   occurred  a
         Registration Default, include for Exchange Securities.


NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                       A-4

                  The interest so payable,  and punctually paid or duly provided
for, on any Interest  Payment Date will, as provided in such Indenture,  be paid
to  the  Person  in  whose  name  this  Security  (or  one or  more  Predecessor
Securities)  is registered  at the close of business on the Regular  Record Date
for such  interest,  which shall be the April 15 or October 15 (whether or not a
Business Day), as the case may be, next  preceding  such Interest  Payment Date.
Any such  interest not so punctually  paid or duly provided for shall  forthwith
cease  to be  payable  to the  Holder  on such  Regular  Record  Date,  and such
defaulted  interest,  and (to the  extent  lawful)  interest  on such  defaulted
interest at the rate borne by the Securities, may be paid to the Person in whose
name this Security (or one or more Predecessor  Securities) is registered at the
close of  business on a Special  Record  Date for the payment of such  Defaulted
Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of
Securities  not less than 10 days prior to such Special  Record Date,  or may be
paid at any time in any other lawful manner,  all as more fully provided in said
Indenture. Payment of the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest on
this Security will be made at the office or agency of the Company maintained for
that  purpose in The City of New York,  or at such other office or agency of the
Company as may be maintained  for such purpose,  in such coin or currency of the
United  States of America as at the time of payment is legal  tender for payment
of public  and  private  debts;  provided,  however,  that each  installment  of
interest  may at the  Companys  option  be paid (i) by  mailing a check for such
interest, payable to or upon the written order of the Person entitled thereto to
the address of such Person as it appears on the  Security  Register,  or (ii) by
wire  transfer of such  interest in  immediately  available  funds to an account
located in the United States maintained by the Depository.

                  Reference  is hereby  made to the further  provisions  of this
Security set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all
purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.

                  Unless the certificate of authentication  hereon has been duly
executed by the Trustee  referred to on the reverse hereof by manual  signature,
this Security  shall not be entitled to any benefit under the  Indenture,  or be
valid or obligatory for any purpose.



NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                       A-5

                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the Company has caused this instrument to
be duly executed under its corporate seal.

Dated:                                               QWEST COMMUNICATIONS
                                                              INTERNATIONAL INC.


                                                      By:                       
                                                       Authorized Signatory




NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                       A-6

                           Form of Reverse of Security

                  This Security is one of a duly authorized  issue of securities
of the Company  designated as its 7.25% [SeriesB]  Senior Notes Due 2008 (herein
called the "Securities"), limited (except as otherwise provided in the Indenture
referred to below) in aggregate  principal amount to $300,000,000,  which may be
issued under an indenture  (herein called the "Indenture")  dated as of November
27, 1998 between the Company and Bankers Trust Company,  trustee  (herein called
the "Trustee",  which term includes any successor  trustee under the Indenture),
to which Indenture and all indentures  supplemental  thereto reference is hereby
made for a statement of the respective  rights,  limitations of rights,  duties,
obligations  and  immunities  thereunder  of the  Company,  the  Trustee and the
Holders of the  Securities,  and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and
are to be,  authenticated  and delivered.  Capitalized terms used herein but not
defined herein have the respective meanings assigned thereto in the Indenture.

                  The  Securities are subject to redemption at the option of the
Company,  in whole or in part,  at any time  upon not less  than 30 and not more
than 60 days prior notice at a redemption  price equal to the  principal  amount
thereof,  plus accrued and unpaid  interest  thereon (if any) to the  Redemption
Date plus the Applicable Make-Whole Premium.

                  Within 30 days of the  occurrence of a Change of Control,  the
Company  will be  required,  subject  to  certain  limitations  provided  in the
Indenture, to make an Offer to Purchase all Outstanding Securities at a purchase
price  in cash  in an  amount  equal  to 101%  of the  principal  amount  of the
Securities on the Purchase Date plus accrued and unpaid interest and premium, if
any, to such Purchase Date.

                  In  the  case  of  any  redemption  of  Securities,   interest
installments whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date will be
payable  to  the  Holders  of  such  Securities,  or  one  or  more  Predecessor
Securities,  of record at the close of  business  on the  relevant  Record  Date
referred to on the face  hereof.  Securities  (or  portions  thereof)  for whose
redemption and payment  provision is made in accordance with the Indenture shall
cease to bear interest from and after the Redemption Date.

                  In the event of  redemption  of this  Security in part only, a
new Security or Securities for the unredeemed  portion hereof shall be issued in
the name of the Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof.

- --------
         Include for Exchange Securities only.


NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                       A-7

                  If an Event of  Default  shall  occur and be  continuing,  the
principal  of all the  Securities  may be declared due and payable in the manner
and with the effect  provided  in the  Indenture  and in an amount  equal to the
principal  amount of the Securities as of the date on which the Securities first
become due and payable,  plus any accrued and unpaid  interest  and premium,  if
any, not otherwise included in the principal amount to such date.

                  The Indenture  contains  provisions for defeasance at any time
of (a)the entire  indebtedness  of the Company on this  Security and  (b)certain
restrictive  covenants  and the related  Defaults  and Events of  Default,  upon
compliance  by the Company  with certain  conditions  set forth  therein,  which
provisions  apply  to  this  Security.  In  addition,   the  Indenture  contains
provisions for the  suspension of certain  restrictive  covenants  under certain
circumstances.

                  The  Indenture  permits,  with certain  exceptions  as therein
provided,  the  amendment  thereof  and  the  modification  of  the  rights  and
obligations  of the Company and the rights of the Holders under the Indenture at
any time by the  Company  and the  Trustee  with the consent of the Holders of a
majority  in  aggregate   principal   amount  of  the  Securities  at  the  time
Outstanding.  The Indenture also contains  provisions  permitting the Holders of
specified  percentages  in aggregate  principal  amount of the Securities at the
time  Outstanding,  on behalf of the  Holders  of all the  Securities,  to waive
compliance  by the Company with certain  provisions of the Indenture and certain
past defaults  under the Indenture and their  consequences.  Any such consent or
waiver by or on behalf of the Holder of this Security  shall be  conclusive  and
binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any
Security issued upon the  registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor
or in lieu hereof whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon
this Security.

                  No reference  herein to the Indenture and no provision of this
Security  or of the  Indenture  shall  alter or  impair  the  obligation  of the
Company,  which is absolute  and  unconditional,  to pay the  principal  of (and
premium,  if any) and interest on this Security at the times,  place,  and rate,
and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.

                  As   provided  in  the   Indenture   and  subject  to  certain
limitations  therein set forth, the transfer of this Security is registerable on
the  Security  Register of the  Company,  upon  surrender  of this  Security for
registration  of transfer at the office or agency of the Company  maintained for
such  purpose in The City of NewYork,  duly  endorsed  by, or  accompanied  by a
written  instrument  of  transfer  in form  satisfactory  to the Company and the
Security  Registrar  duly  executed by, the Holder  hereof or his attorney  duly
authorized in writing,  and thereupon one or more new Securities,  of authorized
denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the
designated transferee or transferees.



NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                       A-8

                  The  Securities  are issuable only in registered  form without
coupons  in  denominations  of $1,000  and any  integral  multiple  thereof.  As
provided in the Indenture and subject to certain  limitations therein set forth,
the  Securities  are  exchangeable  for a like  aggregate  principal  amount  of
Securities of a different  authorized  denomination,  as requested by the Holder
surrendering the same.

                  No  service  charge  shall  be made  for any  registration  of
transfer or exchange of Securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum
sufficient to cover any tax or other  governmental  charge payable in connection
therewith.

                  Prior  to the time of due  presentment  of this  Security  for
registration of transfer,  the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company
or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as
the owner hereof for all purposes,  whether or not this Security be overdue, and
neither  the  Company,  the Trustee nor any agent shall be affected by notice to
the contrary.

                  All  terms  used in this  Security  which are  defined  in the
Indenture shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.




NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                       A-9

                 Form of Trustee's Certificate of Authentication

                  The  Trustee's  certificate  of  authentication  shall  be  in
substantially the following form:

                     TRUSTEE'S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION


                  Dated:  ____________________

                  This   is   one  of  the   Securities   referred   to  in  the
within-mentioned Indenture.

                                               [NAME OF TRUSTEE]
                                               as Trustee


                                               By:_________________________
                                                   Authorized Signatory




NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                      A-10

                                 Assignment Form

                  If you, the holder, want to assign this Security,  fill in the
form below and have your signature guaranteed:

I or we assign and transfer this Security to ___________________________________



(Insert assignee's social security or tax ID number)                     

(Print or type assignee's name, address and zip code)                          



and irrevocably appoint ________________________________
of       ________________________________
         --------------------------------

agent to  transfer  this  Security  on the books of the  Company.  The agent may
substitute another to act for such agent.

                  In  connection  with any transfer of this  Security  occurring
prior to the date which is the earlier of (i) the date of the declaration by the
Commission of the effectiveness of a registration statement under the Securities
Act of 1933,  as  amended  (the  "Securities  Act"),  covering  resales  of this
Security (which effectiveness shall not have been suspended or terminated at the
date of the transfer) and (ii)the date two years (or such shorter period of time
as may be  permitted by Rule 144(k) under the  Securities  Act or any  successor
provision thereunder) after the later of the original issuance date appearing on
the face of this  Security  (or any  Predecessor  Security)  or the last date on
which the Company or any Affiliate of the Company was the owner of this Security
(or any Predecessor Security), the undersigned confirms that it has not utilized
any general  solicitation or general advertising in connection with the transfer
and that:

                                   [Check One]

|_|               (a) this Security is being  transferred in compliance with the
                  exemption from registration  under the Securities Act provided
                  by Rule 144A thereunder.

                                       or



NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                      A-11

|_|               (b)  this  Security  is  being   transferred   other  than  in
                  accordance   with  (a)  above  and   documents,   including  a
                  transferee  certificate  substantially  in the  form  attached
                  hereto,  are being  furnished which comply with the conditions
                  of transfer set forth in this Security and the Indenture.

If neither of the foregoing  boxes is checked and, in the case of (b) above,  if
the appropriate  document is not attached or otherwise furnished to the Trustee,
the Trustee or Registrar shall not be obligated to register this Security in the
name of any person other than the Holder hereof unless and until the  conditions
to any such transfer or registration  set forth herein and in Section 313 of the
Indenture shall have been satisfied.



Dated:_________________     Your signature:                                    
                            (Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side
                             of this Security)

                            By:                                               
                            NOTICE:  To be executed by an executive officer


Signature Guarantee:__________________________


                  TO BE COMPLETED BY PURCHASER IF (a) ABOVE IS CHECKED:

                  The undersigned  represents and warrants that it is purchasing
this  Security  for its own  account  or an  account  with  respect  to which it
exercises  sole  investment  discretion  and that it and any such  account  is a
"qualified  institutional  buyer"  within  the  meaning  of Rule 144A  under the
Securities  Act and is aware  that the sale to it is being made in  reliance  on
Rule144A and acknowledges  that it has received such  information  regarding the
Company as the  undersigned  has requested  pursuant to Rule 144A (including the
information  specified in Rule 144A(d)(4)) or has determined not to request such
information  and  that it is aware  that  the  transferor  is  relying  upon the
undersigned's  foregoing  representations  in order to claim the exemption  from
registration provided by Rule 144A.


Dated:__________________________                                              
                                 NOTICE:  To be executed by an executive officer

[The  Transferee  Certificates  (Exhibit B to the Indenture) will be attached to
the Security]


NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                      A-12

                       Option of Holder to Elect Purchase

     If you wish to have this  Security  purchased  by the  Company  pursuant to
Section 1010 or 1018 of the Indenture, check the box: |_|

     If you wish to have a portion of this  Security  purchased  by the  Company
pursuant  to  Section  1010  or  1018  of  the  Indenture,   state  the  amount:
$_____________

Dated:______________________                         Your Signature:          
                                (Sign exactly as your name appears on the
                                 other side of this Security)


NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                       B-1

                                    EXHIBIT B

                       Form of Certificate to Be Delivered
                          in Connection with Transfers
                            Pursuant to Regulation S

                                                             [Date]

Bankers Trust Company
Four Albany Street
New York, NY  10006

Attention:  Corporate Market Services

         Re:      Qwest Communications International Inc. (the "Company")
                  7.25% Senior Notes Due 2008 (the "Securities")               

Dear Sirs:

                  In connection with our proposed sale of $ aggregate  principal
amount of the Securities,  we confirm that such sale has been effected  pursuant
to and in accordance with Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "Securities Act"), and, accordingly, we represent that:

     (1) the  offer of the  Securities  was not made to a person  in the  United
States;

     (2) either (a) at the time the buy offer was originated, the transferee was
outside the United States or we and any person  acting on our behalf  reasonably
believed  that  the  transferee  was  outside  the  United  States,  or (b)  the
transaction  was  executed  in, on or through  the  facilities  of a  designated
off-shore  securities  market and neither we nor any person acting on our behalf
knows  that the  transaction  has been  pre-arranged  with a buyer in the United
States;

     (3) no  directed  selling  efforts  have been made in the United  States in
contravention of the requirements of Rule 903(b) or Rule 904(b) of Regulation S,
as applicable;

     (4)  the  transaction  is not  part  of a  plan  or  scheme  to  evade  the
registration requirements of the Securities Act;

     (5) we have advised the transferee of the transfer restrictions  applicable
to the Securities; and



NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                       B-2

     (6) if the  circumstances set forth in Rule 904(c) under the Securities Act
are  applicable,  we have  complied  with  the  additional  conditions  therein,
including (if  applicable)  sending a confirmation  or other notice stating that
the  Securities  may be offered  and sold:  during the  distribution  compliance
period specified in Rule 903(c)(2) or (3), as applicable; in accordance with the
provisions of Regulation S; pursuant to registration of the Securities under the
Securities  Act; or pursuant to an  available  exemption  from the  registration
requirements under the Securities Act.

                  You and the Company are  entitled to rely upon this letter and
are  irrevocably  authorized  to  produce  this  letter or a copy  hereof to any
interested party in any  administrative or legal proceedings or official inquiry
with respect to the matters covered hereby.  Terms used in this certificate have
the meanings set forth in Regulation S.

                                                     Very truly yours,

                                                     [Name of Transferor]

                                                     By:                     
                                                           Authorized Signatory


NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                       B-3

                                                                  EXECUTION COPY






                    QWEST COMMUNICATIONS INTERNATIONAL INC.,

                                     Issuer

                                       to

                             BANKERS TRUST COMPANY,

                                     Trustee



                              --------------------



                                    Indenture


                          Dated as of November 27, 1998


                              ---------------------



                          $300,000,000 Principal Amount


                           7.25% Senior Notes Due 2008










NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                       B-4

                      Reconciliationand  tie  between  Trust  Indenture  Act  of
                                    1939, as amended, and Indenture, dated as of
                                    November 4, 1998



Trust Indenture Act Section                                    Indenture Section
 310(a)(1)................................................... 608
        (a)(2)................................................ 608
        (b)................................................... 608, 609
 311 ........................................................ 605
 312......................................................... 701
        (b)................................................... 701
        (c)................................................... 701
 313(a)...................................................... 702
        (c)................................................... 702
 314(a)(1)................................................... 703
        (a)(4)................................................ 1009
        (c)(1)................................................ 102
        (c)(2)................................................ 102
        (e)................................................... 102
 315(a)...................................................... 601
        (b)................................................... 602
        (c)................................................... 601
        (d)................................................... 601
        (e)................................................... 609
 316(a) (last sentence)...................................... 101(Outstanding)
        (a)(1)(A)............................................. 502, 512
        (a)(1)(B)............................................. 513
        (b)................................................... 508
        (c)................................................... 104(d)
 317(a)(1)................................................... 503
        (a)(2)................................................ 504
        (b)................................................... 1003
 318(a)...................................................... 112

                                    --------
Note: This  reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose,  be
deemed to be a part of the Indenture.


NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                                 i



                                              TABLE OF CONTENTS


                                                                           Page

PARTIES.....................................................................  1
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY.....................................................  1


                                            ARTICLE ONE

                                  DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS
                                       OF GENERAL APPLICATION

SECTION 101.          Definitions.............................................1
         Acquired Debt........................................................2
         Act..................................................................2
         Affiliate............................................................2
         Agent Member.........................................................2
         Applicable Make-Whole Premium........................................2
         Asset Disposition....................................................3
         Attributable Value...................................................3
         Board of Directors...................................................4
         Board Resolution.....................................................4
         Business Day.........................................................4
         Capital Lease Obligation.............................................4
         Capital Stock........................................................4
         Cash Equivalents.....................................................4
         Change of Control....................................................5
         Commission...........................................................5
         Common Stock.........................................................5
         Company..............................................................5
         Company Order........................................................5
         Company Request......................................................5
         Comparable Treasury Issue............................................5
         Comparable Treasury Price............................................5
         Consolidated Capital Ratio...........................................6
         Consolidated Cash Flow Available for Fixed Charges...................6
         Consolidated Income Tax Expense......................................6
- --------
Note: This table of contents shall not, for any purpose,  be deemed to be a part
of
                  the Indenture.

NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                                 ii


                                                                            Page

         Consolidated Interest Expense........................................6
         Consolidated Net Income..............................................7
         Consolidated Net Worth...............................................7
         Consolidated Tangible Assets.........................................7
         Continuing Director..................................................8
         Corporate Trust Office...............................................8
         Corporation..........................................................8
         Credit Facilities....................................................8
         Debt.................................................................8
         Debt Securities......................................................9
         Default..............................................................9
         Defaulted Interest...................................................9
         Depository...........................................................9
         Designation..........................................................9
         Designation Amount...................................................9
         Disqualified Stock...................................................9
         Eligible Institution................................................10
         Eligible Receivables................................................10
         Event of Default....................................................10
         Exchange Act........................................................10
         Exchange Offer......................................................10
         Exchange Offer Registration Statement...............................10
         Exchange Securities.................................................10
         Expiration Date.....................................................10
         Fair Market Value...................................................10
         Federal Bankruptcy Code.............................................10
         Global Security.....................................................11
         Government Securities...............................................11
         Group...............................................................11
         Guarantee...........................................................11
         Guarantor...........................................................11
         Holder..............................................................11
         Incur...............................................................11
         Indenture...........................................................12
         Indenture Obligations...............................................12
         Initial Purchaser...................................................12
         Initial Securities..................................................12
         Interest Payment Date...............................................12
         Interest Rate or Currency Protection Agreement......................12
         Investment..........................................................12

NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                                iii


                                                                         ge

         Investment Grade Rating.........................................12
         Lien............................................................12
         Liquidated Interest.............................................13
         Maturity........................................................13
         Net Available Proceeds..........................................13
         Notice of Default...............................................14
         Offer...........................................................14
         Offer to Purchase...............................................14
         Offering Memorandum.............................................16
         Officers' Certificate...........................................16
         Opinion of Counsel..............................................16
         Outstanding.....................................................16
         Paying Agent....................................................17
         Permitted Holders...............................................17
         Permitted Interest Rate or Currency Protection Agreement........17
         Permitted Investments...........................................17
         Permitted Joint Venture.........................................18
         Permitted Liens.................................................18
         Permitted Telecommunications Capital Asset Disposition..........19
         Person..........................................................19
         Physical Security...............................................19
         Predecessor Security............................................19
         Preferred Dividends.............................................19
         Preferred Stock.................................................19
         Primary Treasury Dealer.........................................19
         Private Placement Legend........................................20
         Purchase Amount.................................................20
         Purchase Date...................................................20
         Purchase Money Debt.............................................20
         Purchase Price..................................................20
         Qualified Institutional Buyer...................................20
         QIB.............................................................20
         Rating Agencies.................................................20
         Rating Decline..................................................20
         Receivables.....................................................20
         Receivables Sale................................................20
         Redemption Date.................................................20
         Redemption Price................................................20
         Reference Treasury Dealer.......................................21
         Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations............................21

NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                                 iv


                                                                           Page

         Registration Agreement.............................................21
         Registration Statement.............................................21
         Regular Record Date................................................21
         Regulation S.......................................................21
         Regulation S Global Security.......................................21
         Related Person.....................................................21
         Responsible Officer................................................21
         Restricted Payment.................................................22
         Restricted Subsidiary..............................................22
         Restricted Subsidiary Guarantee....................................22
         Revocation.........................................................22
         Rule 144A..........................................................22
         Rule 144A Global Security..........................................22
         Sale and Leaseback Transaction.....................................22
         Securities.........................................................22
         Securities Act.....................................................22
         Security Register..................................................23
         Security Registrar.................................................23
         Senior Note Indentures.............................................23
         Shelf Registration Statement.......................................23
         Special Record Date................................................23
         Stated Maturity....................................................23
         Strategic Investor.................................................23
         Subordinated Debt..................................................23
         Subsidiary.........................................................24
         Suspended Covenants................................................24
         Suspension Period..................................................24
         Telecommunications Assets..........................................24
         Telecommunications Business........................................24
         Treasury Rate......................................................25
         Trust Indenture Act................................................25
         TIA................................................................25
         Trustee............................................................25
         Unrestricted Subsidiary............................................25
         Vice President.....................................................25
         Voting Stock.......................................................25
         Wholly Owned Subsidiary............................................25
SECTION 102.          Compliance Certificates and Opinions..................25
SECTION 103.          Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee................26
SECTION 104.          Acts of Holders.......................................27

NYDOCS01/571795 3





                                                 v


                                                                           Page

SECTION 105.          Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company.................28
SECTION 106.          Notice to Holders; Waiver.............................28
SECTION 107.          Effect of Headings and Table of Contents..............29
SECTION 108.          Successors and Assigns................................29
SECTION 109.          Separability Clause...................................29
SECTION 110.          Benefits of Indenture.................................29
SECTION 111.          Governing Law.........................................29
SECTION 112.          Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.....................29
SECTION 113.          Legal Holidays........................................30
SECTION 114.          No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, 
                           Employees and Stockholders.......................30
SECTION 115.          Independence of Covenants.............................30
SECTION 116.          Exhibits..............................................31
SECTION 117.          Counterparts..........................................31
SECTION 118.          Duplicate Originals...................................31

                                            ARTICLE TWO

                                           SECURITY FORMS

SECTION 201.          Forms Generally...................................... 31

                                           ARTICLE THREE

                                           THE SECURITIES

SECTION 301.          Title and Terms........................................32
SECTION 302.          Denominations..........................................33
SECTION 303.          Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.........33
SECTION 304.          Temporary Securities...................................35
SECTION 305.          Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange....35
SECTION 306.          Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.......37
SECTION 307.          Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.........37
SECTION 308.          Persons Deemed Owners..................................39
SECTION 309.          Cancellation...........................................39
SECTION 310.          Computation of Interest................................39
SECTION 311.          CUSIP Number...........................................40
SECTION 312.          Book-Entry Provisions for Global Securities............40
SECTION 313.          Special Transfer Provisions............................41

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                                       ARTICLE FOUR

                                SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

SECTION 401.     Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture......................43
SECTION 402.     Application of Trust Money...................................44

                                       ARTICLE FIVE

                                         REMEDIES

SECTION 501.    Events of Default.............................................44
SECTION 502.    Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment............46
SECTION 503.    Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by
                      Trustee.................................................47
SECTION 504.    Trustee May File Proofs of Claim..............................48
SECTION 505.    Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities...49
SECTION 506.    Application of Money Collected................................49
SECTION 507.    Limitation on Suits...........................................50
SECTION 508.    Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium
                      and Interest............................................50
SECTION 509.    Restoration of Rights and Remedies............................51
SECTION 510.    Rights and Remedies Cumulative................................51
SECTION 511.    Delay or Omission Not Waiver..................................51
SECTION 512.    Control by Holders............................................51
SECTION 513.    Waiver of Past Defaults.......................................52
SECTION 514.    Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws..............................52

                                       ARTICLE SIX

                                       THE TRUSTEE

SECTION 601.    Certain Duties and Responsibilities...........................53
SECTION 602.    Notice of Default.............................................54
SECTION 603.    Certain Rights of Trustee.....................................54
SECTION 604.    Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities56
SECTION 605.    May Hold Securities...........................................56
SECTION 606.    Money Held in Trust...........................................56
SECTION 607.    Compensation and Reimbursement................................56

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SECTION 608.  Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility; Conflicting Interests..57
SECTION 609.  Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor...............58
SECTION 610.  Acceptance of Appointment by Successor..........................59
SECTION 611.  Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.....59

                                    ARTICLE SEVEN

                  HOLDERS' LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY

SECTION 701.  Disclosure of Names and Addresses of Holders....................60
SECTION 702.  Reports by Trustee..............................................60
SECTION 703.  Reports by Company..............................................61

                                    ARTICLE EIGHT

                 CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE

SECTION 801.  Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms............61
SECTION 802.  Successor Substituted...........................................62

                                     ARTICLE NINE

                               SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

SECTION 901.  Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders..............63
SECTION 902.  Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders.................64
SECTION 903.  Execution of Supplemental Indentures............................65
SECTION 904.  Effect of Supplemental Indentures...............................65
SECTION 905.  Conformity with Trust Indenture Act.............................65
SECTION 906.  Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures..............65
SECTION 907.  Notice of Supplemental Indentures...............................65

                                     ARTICLE TEN

                                      COVENANTS

SECTION 1001.  Payment of Principal, Premium, if Any, and Interest............66
SECTION 1002.  Maintenance of Office or Agency................................66
SECTION 1003.  Money for Security Payments to Be Held in Trust................66
SECTION 1004.  Corporate Existence............................................68

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SECTION 1005. Payment of Taxes and Other Claims............................68
SECTION 1006. Maintenance of Properties....................................69
SECTION 1007. Insurance....................................................69
SECTION 1008. Provision of Financial Statements............................69
SECTION 1009. Statement by Officers as to Default..........................69
SECTION 1010. Purchase of Securities upon Change of Control................70
SECTION 1011. Limitation on Consolidated Debt..............................71
SECTION 1012. Limitation on Debt and Preferred Stock of Restricted
                   Subsidiaries............................................74
SECTION 1013. Limitation on Restricted Payments............................75
SECTION 1014. Limitation on Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions
                   Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries.......................77
SECTION 1015. Limitation on Liens..........................................78
SECTION 1016. Limitation on Issuances of Certain Guarantees by, and Debt
                   Securities of, Restricted Subsidiaries..................79
SECTION 1017. Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions................80
SECTION 1018. Limitation on Asset Dispositions.............................80
SECTION 1019. Limitation on Issuances and Sales of Capital Stock of
                   Restricted Subsidiaries.................................81
SECTION 1020. Transactions with Affiliates and Related Persons.............81
SECTION 1021. Limitation on Designations of Unrestricted Subsidiaries......82
SECTION 1022. No Repayment of Existing Parent Company Advances with
                   the Proceeds of the Securities..........................83
SECTION 1023. Waiver of Certain Covenants..................................83
SECTION 1024. Trustee Not to Monitor Performance...........................84
SECTION 1025. Suspended Covenants..........................................84

                                   ARTICLE ELEVEN

                              REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES

SECTION 1101. Right of Redemption..........................................85
SECTION 1102. Applicability of Article.....................................85
SECTION 1103. Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee........................85
SECTION 1104. Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed............85
SECTION 1105. Notice of Redemption.........................................86
SECTION 1106. Deposit of Redemption Price..................................87
SECTION 1107. Securities Payable on Redemption Date........................87
SECTION 1108. Securities Redeemed in Part..................................87

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                                      ARTICLE TWELVE

                            DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

SECTION 1201.    Company's Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant
                      Defeasance.............................................88
SECTION 1202.    Defeasance and Discharge....................................88
SECTION 1203.    Covenant Defeasance.........................................88
SECTION 1204.    Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.............89
SECTION 1205.    Deposited Money and Government Securities to Be Held in
                      Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions..................90
SECTION 1206.    Reinstatement...............................................91




TESTIMONIUM................................................................ 92
SIGNATURES AND SEALS........................................................92

EXHIBIT A -     Form of Security

EXHIBIT        B - Form  of  Certificate  to Be  Delivered  in  Connection  with
               Transfers Pursuant to Regulation S



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