CenturyLink, Inc. is an American telecommunications organization, headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana, that gives correspondences and information administrations to private, business, legislative, and discount clients in 37 states. A individual from the S&P 500 index and the Fortune 500, the organization works as a local trade carrier and Internet get to provider in U.S. showcases and is the third-biggest media communications organization in the United States as far as lines served, behind AT&T and Verizon. It additionally provides long distance service.

History

The most punctual ancestor of CenturyLink was the Oak Ridge Telephone Company in Oak Ridge, Louisiana, which was claimed by F. E. Hogan, Sr. In 1930, Hogan sold the organization, with 75 paid supporters, to William Clarke and Marie Williams, for $500. They moved the switchboard to the Williams family front parlor. In 1946, the Williams’ child, Clarke McRae Williams, got responsibility for family’s phone organization as a wedding gift. In 1947, Clarke Williams took in the phone organization in Marion, Louisiana was available to be purchased. With an advance from business relate Joe Sydney Carter, Clarke bought the Marion Telephone Company and inevitably made it his base of activity as he developed his organization through more acquisitions. CenturyLink still keeps up workplaces in the previous central command building. The organization stayed as a family-worked business until the point when it ended up consolidated in 1968.

Focal Telephone and Electronics

By 1967, Oak Ridge Telephone Company served three states with 10,000 access lines. That year, the organization was fused as Central Telephone and Electronics. Clarke M. Williams served as president and director of the board. Between 1972 and 1975, Clarke bit by bit moved his central station from Marion to Monroe, Louisiana, to get to the bigger worker base and to be close to the airplane terminal.

Century Telephone Enterprises

In 1971, the organization was renamed as Century Telephone Enterprises, Inc. In 1972, Century Telephone gained the La Crosse Telephone Corporation, of Wisconsin.

On October 24, 1978, Century Telephone moved to the New York Stock Exchange for the first run through and started to exchange under the ticker image CTL.

Century Telephone performed well amid the long bear market of the 1970s, as its stock rose over fourfold. The organization gave telephone utility in parts of 14 states at that point.

In 1981, Century Telephone acquired War Telephone in West Virginia.

In 1982, Century Telephone’s profit crested at $14 million, at that point declined in 1983 after the early 1980s retreat, lastly started to recoup in 1984. Notwithstanding, the 1983 decrease prompted lost a large portion of the estimation of the organization’s stock in 1984.

In 1985, both profit and the stock cost had recouped to new record highs. Be that as it may, by at that point, the organization had gathered $206 million in long haul debt. Century Telephone sold the tasks of War Telephone and two different organizations to Colonial Telephone for $4.66 million.

In 1987, the stock cost almost multiplied from its low that year, and from its old 1982 record high, before falling back by a third in the 1987 securities exchange crash. Profit had consistently developed every year from their 1983 low, and by 1987 came to almost US$20 million.

In 1989, Century Telephone Enterprises gained Universal Telephone, Inc. for US$90 million in cash.During the late 1980s the organization started a long pattern in which it performed to a great degree well. The stock split three-for-two twice in this period, as profit relentlessly developed, through the 1990-1991 subsidence, and by year-end 1991, they came to about US$40 million, twofold from what they had been in 1987.

In 1992, Century Telephone acquired Central Telephone Company of Ohio, a Centel subsidiary, for $135 million. The procurement served in excess of 65,000 access lines, and added 20% to Century’s entrance line add up to. Additionally that year Glen F. Post III became Chief Executive Officer and, named Vice Chairman of the Board of Century Telephone.

In 1993, Century Telephone incomes were over $425 million, up from about $350 million of every 1992. 1993 income were almost $80 million, up from about $70 million out of 1992, barring an about $16 million charge in 1992 because of the total impact from a bookkeeping change that year. Also in 1993 the organization split its stock three-for-two once more. Notwithstanding, at that point, the organization had amassed almost $520 million in long haul obligation.

By 1995, Century Telephone Enterprises had been added to the S&P MidCap 400 list. Profit had proceeded with their relentless development slant through the 1994 economic soft landing, and by 1995 they came to over US$115 million. In any case, the long haul obligation kept on developing too, coming to US$623 million that year.

In 1997, Century Telephone obtained Delta Security Alarm Co., Inc. of Monroe, Louisiana, and its biggest procurement up until that time, Pacific Telecom, multiplying its size with 660,000 extra phone get to lines in 12 states. Pacific Telecom, Inc., would proceed with presence and was renamed CenturyTel of the Northwest, Inc.

In 1998, Century Telephone split its stock three-for-two by and by. The organization obtained another Monroe, Louisiana security organization, Century Protection Systems, and furthermore procured 89,000 access lines and 19 trades in 21 northern Wisconsin communities from Ameritech. The influenced clients had in the past been served by Wisconsin Bell. Ameritech’s catalog distributing tasks serving those clients were additionally obtained.

CenturyTel

In 1999, the organization was renamed as CenturyTel, Inc.It split its stock three-for-two yet again, and was added to the Standard and Poor’s 500 Index that year.

In 2000, CenturyTel procured 230,500 GTE lines in Arkansas, and furthermore purchased 127,000 GTE lines in Missouri in organization with Spectra Communications. In Wisconsin, it obtained 133,000 extra lines, and 70,500 access lines for US$195 million from Verizon. That year CenturyTel likewise purchased 62,650 lines for US$170 million in organization with Telephone USA of Wisconsin, LLC.

In 2001, CenturyTel acquired CSW Net, Inc. of Russellville, Arkansas, and battled off a hostile take-over attempt by ALLTEL, Inc.

In 2002, the child of the organization’s unique author and Chairman of the Board Clarke M. Williams kicked the bucket. He was prevailing by then Vice Chairman Glen F. Post III. The organization sold its remote business to ALLTEL, to end up an unadulterated play rustic neighborhood trade transporter. Additionally that year CenturyTel obtained 300,000 Verizon get to lines in Alabama, and 354,000 Verizon get to lines in Missouri, conveying its aggregate tasks to 22 states with 2.5 million access lines.

In 2003, CenturyTel procured half proprietorship of SkyComm International, Inc. in Houston, Texas, in March, to shape a satellite transport for its worldwide Network Access Point (NAP) framework. In June, CenturyTel additionally gained the fiber organize of Digital Teleport, Inc., a 5,700-mile (9,200 km) course running from Illinois to Texas, and abutting states. CenturyTel renamed the system organization LightCore. Closing out the year, in December CenturyTel obtained the Midwest Fiber Optic Network (MFON) from Level 3 Communications, Inc. in December, an independent framework in a similar center focal states as LightCore.

In August 2004, it joined forces with EchoStar Communications Corporation for DISH Network multi-channel digital TV. In September, CenturyTel started a relationship with Cingular Wireless.

In 2005, CenturyTel started a remote voice and information benefit, and purchased various fiber organizes in the focal United States, from KMC Telecom Holdings, Inc.

In 2006, CenturyTel sold its Arizona resources to Hopi Telecommunications, Inc., conveying all out tasks to 23 states.

In May 2007, CenturyTel acquired Madison River Communications, based out of Mebane, NC and parent organization to four LECs (AL, GA, IL, and NC) and additionally CLEC tasks in IL, LA, and NC. The LECs included Mebtel Communications, a phone organization serving Alamance County, North Carolina; GulfTel Communications, based out of Foley, AL and serving Baldwin and encompassing counties; Coastal Communications, based out of Hinesville, GA; and Gallatin River Communications, serving the Dixon, Galesburg, and Pekin regions of IL.

In late 2007, the Customer Respect Group, a worldwide research and counseling firm that centers around how enterprises treat their online clients, positioned CenturyTel the best among six driving interchanges suppliers.

Securing of Embarq

On October 27, 2008, Embarq announced that it would be obtained by CenturyTel, Inc. in an all-stock exchange esteemed at about $6 billion. CenturyTel’s CEO Glen Post would remain CEO of the consolidated organization following the acquisition,and remained CEO as of 2018. Embarq was the previous landline business of Sprint and served urban communities in 18 states, including Nevada, Florida, North Carolina and Ohio. The bargain made CenturyTel the third-biggest landline telephone supplier in Pennsylvania behind Verizon (through both Verizon Pennsylvania and Verizon North) and Comcast.

Name change to CenturyLink

On June 2, 2009, an official statement declared that the joined CenturyTel/Embarq substance would be called CenturyLink.Denver-based Monigle Associates was held to define the new brand methodology. The procurement was finished on July 1, 2009.

On October 19, 2009, CenturyTel and Embarq brandings were resigned, and all business was formally led under the CenturyLink pennant, proceeding to exchange on the NYSE under the CenturyTel stock ticker CTL. The new corporate name, CenturyLink, Inc., did not wind up authority until May 2010.

Securing of Qwest

On April 22, 2010, CenturyLink (now still lawfully known as CenturyTel, Inc.) declared it would acquire Qwest in a stock-for-stock transaction. Under the understanding, CenturyLink would swap 0.1664 of its offers for each offer of Qwest; subsequently

Securing of Savvis

On July 15, 2011, CenturyLink acquired Savvis, Inc., a worldwide supplier of cloud infrastructure and facilitated IT answers for $2 billion, which spoke to every single exceptional offer of Savvis regular stock at $40 per share. This procurement permitted CenturyLink to give expanded managed hosting and cloud administrations.

On December 4, 2012, CenturyLink propelled a coordinated suite of cloud administrations called savvisdirect. Savvisdirect was an extension of CenturyLink’s portfolio ofSavvis cloud benefits and incorporates cloud application hosting, cloud servers, cloud storage, and private cloud for independent companies, IT administrators and designers. CenturyLink later covered the savvisdirect auxiliary, uniting their cloud benefit contributions inside.

On October 16, 2012 Savvis obtained ITO Business Division of Ciber subsequently adding oversaw administrations to the portfolio.

Procurement of AppFog

On June 14, 2013, CenturyLink declared the obtaining of AppFog, a Portland-based Platform as a Service used by more than 100,000 designers to computerize the organization of programming on open mists, for example, Amazon Web Services and OpenStack.

Procurement of Tier 3

On November 19, 2013, CenturyLink declared the obtaining of Tier 3, a Seattle-based infrastructure as a service (IaaS), stage, and propelled cloud the board company based on Cloud Foundry.

Procurement of DataGardens

On December 8, 2014, CenturyLink declared the securing of DataGardens, Inc., a Disaster Recovery as-a-Service (DRaaS) supplier situated in Edmondton, Alberta, Canada.

Procurement of Cognilytics

On December 11, 2014, CenturyLink declared the securing of Cognilytics, a prescient investigation and enormous information arrangement supplier.

Securing of netAura

On March 30, 2016, CenturyLink reported the procurement of netAura, a security administrations organization that centers around cybersecurity, security data and occasion the board (SIEM), examination and helplessness the executives.

Securing of SEAL Consulting

On January 9, 2017, CenturyLink reported the procurement of Edison, New Jersey-based SEAL Consulting, a main SAP arrangements supplier. This extended CenturyLink’s current coordinated SAP capacities of facilitating and oversaw administrations to incorporate combination and programming implementation. [58]

Obtaining of Level 3

On October 31, 2016, CenturyLink reported its expectation to acquire Level 3 Communications in an arrangement esteemed at around $25 billion.. In the wake of anchoring the important administrative endorsements, CenturyLink shut the exchange on November 1, 2017.

Administrations advertised

CenturyLink offers voice and information correspondences, and additionally TV and home security services.[61] CenturyLink’s neighborhood and long separation voice interchanges is POTS. CenturyLink’s information correspondence is through DSL, Metro Ethernet, MPLS, ATM, and Frame Relay over fiber optics,A

Accessibility by state

State Percentage of State’s Population With Access to CenturyLink[63]

Colorado 91.8%

Utah 86.9%

Arizona 82.8%

New Mexico 75.7%

Wyoming 72%

Montana 69.6%

Nevada 68.5%

Washington 68.3%

Idaho 68.0%

Oregon 66.0%

Iowa 59.0%

South Dakota 54.7%

North Dakota 48.7%

Nebraska 47.1%

North Carolina 30.6%

Missouri 20.6%

Arkansas 20.4%

Florida 19.2%

Wisconsin 13.8%

Alabama 13.2%

Ohio 11.4%

TV

Crystal TV

CenturyLink offers a fiber-optic based IPTV service named Prism TV in select markets. In zones where Prism TV isn’t accessible, CenturyLink accomplices with DirecTV. CenturyLink once in the past offered Dish Network bundles to their customers, a leftover from the organization’s days prior to its obtaining of Qwest. In May 2014, CenturyLink announced that it had almost 200,000 Prism TV endorsers.

TV markets

State Cities

Arizona Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, Maricopa, and Gilbert

Colorado Denver, Colorado Springs, and Highlands Ranch

Florida Fort Myers, Orlando, Tallahassee, focal and southwest Florida

Iowa Council Bluffs

Missouri Columbia, Jefferson City

Nebraska Omaha

Nevada Las Vegas

North Carolina Fayetteville, Wake Forest, and focal North Carolina

Oregon Portland

Washington Seattle

Wisconsin La Crosse

Fiber

CenturyLink Fiber is a fiber to the premises service in the United States, giving broadband Internet and Prism TV to a little and gradually developing number of areas. The administration was first presented to Omaha, Nebraska, and next taken off to Las Vegas, Nevada, with gets ready for extension to a few other markets.Unlike the organization’s current rapid Internet arrangements, which utilize fiber-to the hub/neighborhood to increment the speed of ADSL2+ accelerates to 20/2 Mbit/s, Vectored VDSL2+ accelerates to 140/10Mbit/s,in these business sectors CenturyLink now introduces their fiber optic link the distance to the home or business with rates up to 1,000 Mbit/s download and 1,000 Mbit/s upload using Calix Optical Network Terminals. On Feb. 2, 2014, CenturyLink reported the accessibility of Gigabit fiber administration to multi-inhabitant organizations in Salt Lake City and encompassing networks.

On Aug. 5, 2014, CenturyLink reported the development of its gigabit fiber administration to 16 extra markets. On Sep, 15, 2015, CenturyLink declared the extension of its gigabit fiber administration to private and business clients in six extra states, expanding the organization’s administration inclusion to choose territories of 17 states.

Gigabit Fiber markets

State Cities Availability

Arizona Anthem, Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Peoria, Phoenix, Queen Creek, Scottsdale, Sun City, Surprise Residences and Businesses

Arizona Tucson Businesses

Colorado Colorado Springs Residences and Businesses

Colorado Denver Residences and Businesses

Florida Orlando Residences and Businesses

Iowa Ankeny, Des Moines, Clive, Urbandale Residences and Businesses

Minnesota Minneapolis, St. Paul Residences and Businesses

Missouri Columbia, Jefferson City Residences and Businesses

Nebraska Omaha Residences and Businesses

Nevada Las Vegas Residences and Businesses

New Mexico Albuquerque Businesses

North Carolina Angier, Clayton, Fuquay-Varina, Hillsborough, Mebane, Pittsboro, Roxboro, Smithfield, Wake Forest Residences and Businesses

Oregon Portland Residences and Businesses

South Dakota Sioux Falls Businesses

Utah Salt Lake City, Draper, Midvale, Sandy, South Jordan, West Jordan, Cottonwood Heights Multi-inhabitant Business Buildings[

Utah Salt Lake City, Bountiful Residences and Businesses

Washington Seattle Residences and Businesses

Washington Spokane Businesses

Wisconsin La Crosse Residences and Businesses

Server farms

On May 2, 2017 CenturyLink, Inc. finished the recently declared closeout of its server farms and colocation business to reserves prompted by BC Partners, in a consortium including Medina Capital Advisors and Longview Asset Management. The arrangement was worth around $1.86 billion with CenturyLink holding a roughly 10% value stake in the consortium’s recently framed worldwide secure framework organization, Cyxtera Technologies.

Authoritative structure

The consolidated organization’s 37-state benefit zone is sorted out into five districts and driven by area presidents.[94] The area presidents are in charge of income, client maintenance, consumer loyalty, and administration conveyance all through their neighborhood markets. The locales, district home office areas, and states inside every locale are:

Region Headquarters States

Eastern Region Apopka, FL Alabama, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia

Midwest Region Minneapolis Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin

Focal Region Denver Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas

Northwest Region Seattle Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming

Southwest Region Phoenix Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah

Naming rights and sponsorships

Scenes

CenturyLink Arena Boise –  Boise, Idaho (formerly Bank of America Centre and Qwest Arena)

CenturyLink Center –  Bossier City, Louisiana (formerly Bossier City Arena and CenturyTel Center)

CenturyLink Center Omaha –  Omaha, Nebraska (formerly Qwest Center)

CenturyLink Field –  Seattle, Washington (formerly Qwest Field)

CenturyLink Sports Complex and Hammond Stadium – Fort Myers, Florida (Spring Training for Minnesota Twins)

Sponsorships

Colorado Rockies

Denver Broncos

Colorado College Tigers

Orlando Magic

Creighton Bluejays

Idaho Steelheads

Minnesota Twins

National Western Stock Show

Phoenix Mercury

Phoenix Suns

Seattle Seahawks

Utah Jazz

Broadmoor World Arena

New Mexico State Aggies

New Mexico Mustangs