EXHIBIT 23.6
 
                      CONSENT OF SALOMON SMITH BARNEY INC
 
  Salomon Brothers Inc (doing business as "Salomon Smith Barney") hereby
consents to the use of our name and to the description of our opinion letter,
dated March 8, 1998 in, and to the inclusion of such opinion letter as Exhibit
C to, the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus of Qwest Communications
International Inc. and LCI International, Inc., which Joint Proxy
Statement/Prospectus is part of the Registration Statement on Form S-4 of
Qwest Communications International Inc. By giving such consent, we do not
hereby admit that we are experts with respect to any part of such Registration
Statement within the meaning of the term "expert" as used in, or that we come
within the category of persons whose consent is required under, the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations of the Securities and
Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder.
 
                                          Salomon Brothers Inc
 
New York, New York
April 9, 1998