<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 24
 
                               POWER OF ATTORNEY
 
    KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:
 
    WHEREAS, U S WEST, Inc., a Delaware corporation (hereinafter referred to as
the "Company"), proposes to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
under the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, an
annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1996; and
 
    WHEREAS, each of the undersigned is a Director of the Company;
 
    NOW THEREFORE, each of the undersigned consititutes and appoints MICHAEL P.
GLINSKY, JAMES T. ANDERSON and STEPHEN E. BRILZ, and each of them, as attorneys
for him or her and in his or her name, place, and stead, and in his or her
capacity as a Director of the Company, to execute and file such annual report,
and thereafter to execute and file any amendment or amendments thereto on Form
10-K/A, hereby giving and granting to said attorneys full power and authority to
do and perform all and every act and thing whatsoever requisite and necessary to
be done in and about the premises as fully, to all intents and purposes, as he
or she might or could do if personally present at the doing thereof, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys may or shall lawfully do, or
cause to be done, by virtue hereof.
 
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has executed this Power of
Attorney this 14th day of March 1997.
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                            <C>
/s/ REMEDIOS DIAZ-OLIVER                       /s/ ALLEN F. JACOBSON
Remedios Diaz-Oliver                           Allen F. Jacobson
 
/s/ GRANT A. DOVE                              /s/ MARILYN C. NELSON
Grant A. Dove                                  Marilyn C. Nelson
 
/s/ ALLAN D. GILMOUR                           /s/ FRANK POPOFF
Allan D. Gilmour                               Frank Popoff
 
/s/ PIERSON M. GRIEVE                          /s/ JERRY O. WILLIAMS
Pierson M. Grieve                              Jerry O. Williams
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 24
 
                               POWER OF ATTORNEY
 
    KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:
 
    WHEREAS, U S WEST, Inc., a Delaware corporation (hereinafter referred to as
the "Company"), proposes to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
under the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, an
annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1996; and
 
    WHEREAS, the undersigned is an officer or Director, or both, of the Company
and holds the office, or offices, in the Company as indicated below his name;
 
    NOW THEREFORE, the undersigned hereby consititutes and appoints MICHAEL P.
GLINSKY, JAMES T. ANDERSON and STEPHEN E. BRILZ, and each of them, as attorneys
for him and in his name, place, and stead, and in each of his offices and
capacities in the Company, to execute and file such annual report, and
thereafter to execute and file any amendment or amendments thereto on Form
10-K/A, hereby giving and granting to said attorneys full power and authority to
do and perform all and every act and thing whatsoever requisite and necessary to
be done in and about the premises as fully, to all intents and purposes, as he
might or could do if personally present at the doing thereof, hereby ratifying
and confirming all that said attorneys may or shall lawfully do, or cause to be
done, by virtue hereof.
 
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Power of Attorney this
14th day of March 1997.
 
                                          /s/ RICHARD D. MCCORMICK
                                          Richard D. McCormick
                                          Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive
                                          Officer and President