![]() ![]() The request was part of a previous load shedding agreement, and the switch had been performed successfully in the past, but on this occasion, it went wrong. The problem arose when the electric utility, Consolidated Edison, asked AT&T to temporarily stop drawing electricity from the grid and instead use the building's on-site generators. More than 5 million calls were blocked, and Federal Aviation Administration private lines were also interrupted, disrupting air traffic control to 398 airports serving most of the northeastern United States. On September 17, 1991, management failure, power equipment failure, and human error combined to disable AT&T's central office switch at 33 Thomas. 33 Thomas is still used for telephone switching, but some of the space is also used for highly secure datacenters. ĪT&T gradually moved switches and other facilities from their former AT&T Long Lines headquarters building at 32 Sixth Avenue, just a few blocks away, completing the move by 1999. The AT&T Long Lines Building is now commonly known by its street address, 33 Thomas Street. The Long Lines Department became AT&T Communications in 1984 after the Bell System divestiture. The building was a core part of the AT&T Long Lines Department, housing solid-state switching equipment that required tight security and ample space. The location was previously the site of cast-iron buildings, typical of the area, the facades of which were preserved before demolition. The building has also been described as the likely location of a National Security Agency (NSA) mass surveillance hub codenamed TITANPOINTE. The CLLI code for this facility is NYCMNYBW. However, it is not used for incumbent local exchange carrier services, and is not a central office. ![]() It is a telephone exchange or wire center building which contained three major 4ESS switches used for interexchange ( long distance) telephony, as well as a number of other switches used for competitive local exchange carrier services. The building is an example of the Brutalist architectural style. The building stands on the east side of Church Street, between Thomas Street and Worth Street. ![]()
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