CenturyTel of the Gem State CenturyTel of the Gem State CenturyTel of the Gem State, Inc. is a telephone operating company providing local telephone services in Idaho and northern Nevada owned by CenturyLink. The company was established in 1901 as the Gem State Utilities Corporation. The company was acquired by Telephone Utilities in 1966 as the first company TU would acquire to expand its footprint. The state of Nevada approved the company's request to provide telephone service in the state in 1973. The company became CenturyTel of the Gem State, Inc. in 1998. The company was part of Pacific Telecom until 1997, when it was
SS Gem State (T-ACS-2) with American President Lines. She was converted to a MARAD type (C6-S-1qc) container ship, in 1973, and continued to be operated by APL until delivered to the Maritime Administration in 1982 for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF). In 1984–1985 she was converted to a type (C6-S-MA1qd) Crane Ship by Continental Marine, San Francisco, CA. She was placed in service as SS "Gem State" (ACS-2) 7 May 1984, assigned to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) Ready Reserve Force, (RRF). "Gem State" is one of 10 Crane Ships in the Surge Force and is berthed at Alameda, CA,