Aliant Communications Inc., Lincoln, NE, has completed construction of fiber-optic networks to Omaha, NE, and Kansas City, MO. The company will lease capacity on the networks to long-distance companies, regional Bell operating companies, competitive local exchange carriers, as well as cellular, personal communications services, and paging companies. Aliant has also joined the Midwest Carrier Consortium. Together, the eight companies in the consortium own fiber-optic networks in 18 states. Other members include Norlight Telecommunications Inc. of Brookfield, WI; Minnesota Equal Access Network Services Inc., Plymouth, MN; Iowa Network Services, West Des Moines, IA; kin Network Inc., Salina, KS; Touch America, Butte, MT; South Dakota Network Inc., Sioux Falls, SD; and nts Communications, Lubbock, TX.