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CHARLOTTE –

Global telecommunications company AT&T is opening a new data center in Kings Mountain, a project that could have an estimated economic impact of $935 million over 10 years, state and company officials said today. The center will create 106 full-time jobs.

The company also plans to build a $200 . . . → Read More: AT&T to build data center in Kings Mountain]]> By: JOURNALNOW STAFF

CHARLOTTE –

Global telecommunications company AT&T is opening a new data center in Kings Mountain, a project that could have an estimated economic impact of $935 million over 10 years, state and company officials said today. The center will create 106 full-time jobs.

The company also plans to build a $200 million facility in the city, which could create more than 1,000 construction-related jobs, Gov. Bev Perdue announced today. The facility is scheduled to open in 2014.

Cynthia Marshall, president of AT&T North Carolina, said the company hopes to make the Kings Mountain facility a model facility in the country. She added: "my company, on a global level, is community to North Carolina."

AT&T’s facility will join the T5 data center park on Countryside Road in Kings Mountain. Three other data parks are planned or under construction, with room remaining for three more centers, according to county officials.

Officials said they have been working on the AT&T project for nearly two years. It included local and state incentives, including some tax rebates.

It’s the second jobs announcement in as many weeks in the county. Last week, Kendrion FAS Controls said it would add 57 jobs and invest $7.3 million as part of an expansion to its manufacturing plant in Shelby. The company makes electromagnetic systems for vehicles and other products.

Also in January, Baldor Electric Co. said it would add 166 jobs as part of an expansion to its plant in Kings Mountain.

by Karl Bode – DSL Reports

We recently noted how AT&T’s U-Verse expansion is essentially over, and if you haven’t seen your market upgraded yet you probably aren’t going to. So what happens to a little less than half of their current customers still on older DSL technology? Like Verizon — who . . . → Read More: AT&T May Sell Off Many DSL Markets]]> Upgrades Schmupgrades

by Karl Bode – DSL Reports

We recently noted how AT&T’s U-Verse expansion is essentially over, and if you haven’t seen your market upgraded yet you probably aren’t going to. So what happens to a little less than half of their current customers still on older DSL technology? Like Verizon — who offloaded millions of users in somewhat ugly deals with Frontier and Fairpoint, it appears that AT&T is looking to sell off many DSL markets and keep their focus on wireless.

AT&T’s recently on record stating that they can’t find an "economically viable" way to upgrade these users, despite a looming increase in faster and less expensive last mile DSL technologies. The company’s also recently on record stating that they believe DSL is "obsolete" — a troubling claim since that’s their primary product. According to the latest DSLPrime newsletter from Dave Burstein, all signs point to the fact that AT&T’s gunning to sell many DSL markets off, provided they can find a buyer.

That’s essentially all of AT&T not reached by U-Verse. Stankey is “doing a rapid tech evaluation” of whether they can upgrade their DSL + wireless to “a competitive broadband product.” But Randall “doesn’t see a solution.” If that’s confirmed, “we’re looking for others who might want the properties.” Stankey’s competent. Looking at bonded/vectored DSL he may change the company’s plans. Randall’s mantra, however, is "We are a wireless company." It’s unclear if any of the “rural carriers” – Century, Frontier, Windstream – have the financial ability to make an attractive offer. If operators can’t raise the money, T would need to make a financial transaction. A complicated spinoff retaining the growing parts of the company is one possibility. There’s probably an interesting way to lose pension and deferred tax liabilities if they make that choice. All the big private equity firms are looking at bids.

The sale could involve anywhere between 10 and 25 million DSL lines. AT&T would then follow Verizon’s lead and focus on selling capped, expensive LTE service to many more rural users, who primarily have the choice of slow, overpriced satellite, or slow, over-priced DSL (both, if they’re "lucky"). The complete lack of interest in upgrading DSL lines in more than half of the United States is great news for cable companies, who’ll be able to jack up rates for a decade as the only ISPs in many markets capable of anything close to next-gen speeds.

(Click Here) for the numbers per state.

(click here for more)

(Click Here) for the numbers per . . . → Read More: AT$T Announces another surplus]]> AT$T has declared a 2nd Quarter surplus.  46 of our co-workers in North Carolina impacted.

(Click Here) for the numbers per state.

CWA members in Washington, D.C. (left), and Puerto Rico (bottom of full page), were among huge crowds that rallied in cities nationwide in support of workers in Ohio, Wisconsin and other states where their collective bargaining and other rights are threatened.

What began in Wisconsin and Ohio is spreading . . . → Read More: Protests Sweep Nation; Poll Shows Americans Support Public Unions]]> Feb 25, 2011

CWA members in Washington, D.C. (left), and Puerto Rico (bottom of full page), were among huge crowds that rallied in cities nationwide in support of workers in Ohio, Wisconsin and other states where their collective bargaining and other rights are threatened.

What began in Wisconsin and Ohio is spreading like wildfire across the United States, with huge pro-worker rallies in cities nationwide and a new poll showing Americans strongly support collective bargaining rights for public employees.

The USA Today/Gallup poll, released Tuesday, showed that 61 percent of respondents would oppose a bill in their state like the one being pushed by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to kill public sector collective bargaining.

From New York to Alaska, Washington state, California, Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina, Massachusetts and other states as well as Puerto Rico, tens of thousands of Americans are demonstrating in support of the Midwest’s embattled workers. Thousands of others are standing up against their own state lawmakers’ attempts to kill workers’ rights.

In Washington, D.C., CWA members were among more than 1,000 activists who rallied Wednesday in front of the Capitol Hill offices for Walker’s lobbyists. Walker set off the firestorm of protests two weeks ago when he announced his intent to end public employee bargaining and threatened to use the National Guard if workers demonstrated or went on strike.

In Minnesota, Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton and other public officials boldly rallied with a crowd supporting Wisconsin’s workers. Dayton said he would stop any so-called "right-to-work" legislation and other anti-union measures. "There’s no justification for drastic action in Minnesota," he said. "We will not let Minnesota become Wisconsin."

As the protests grew this week, even some Republican governors distanced themselves from Walker, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and others trying to repeal collective bargaining for public workers. A spokesman for Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett said the state would conduct public sector contract talks "in good faith." Tea Party-backed Gov. Rick Scott in Florida said, "My belief is as long as people know what they’re doing, collective bargaining is fine."

Click here for a full and frequently updated list of workers’ rights rallies and other events around the country. The four stories that follow update events this week in New Jersey, Ohio, Wisconsin and Indiana.

View the original article here