Major 911 Outages Reported in Four States: Investigation Underway
Law enforcement agencies across four states were left scrambling following reports of major 911 outages that saw millions unable to contact authorities late Wednesday.
Outages Partially Restored, FCC Investigating
Many of the outages — reported in Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, and Texas — were restored by the late evening, but the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has launched an investigation into the incident.
“When you call 911 in an emergency, it is vital that call goes through. The FCC has already begun investigating the 911 multi-state outages that occurred last night to get to the bottom of the cause and impact,” stated FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.
No Indication of Cyberattack
Law enforcement officials have informed NBC News that there is no current evidence suggesting that the outages were caused by a cyberattack or any other malicious act.
The outages appear to be related to Lumen Technologies, according to a spokesperson for the communications and telecom company.
Lumen Technologies Investigating Third-Party Fiber Cut
Lumen Technologies reported that a third-party company, unrelated to their services, caused the outages in Nevada, South Dakota, and Nebraska. The incident occurred during the installation of a light pole, where the third-party company physically cut their fiber.
The company apologized for the inconvenience and assured customers that services were restored within approximately two and a half hours.
Outage Timeline and Impacted States
The outage primarily affected South Dakota, with law enforcement agencies reporting a statewide outage at around 7 p.m. local time. Rapid City Police provided alternative phone numbers for first responders, and services were restored approximately two hours later.
Additionally, Nevada experienced an outage that impacted the ability to contact authorities. Locals were urged to dial 911 on mobile devices, and normal service was resumed in about two hours.
Nebraska’s Douglas County 911 and Sarpy County 911 also encountered temporary disruptions. While the exact cause and location were undisclosed, service for these areas and various affected wireless carriers were restored within hours.
The Need for Resilient Backups in 911 Systems
According to Retired Rear Adm. David Simpson, the current 911 system’s lack of resilient backups can contribute to outages. Despite there being over 6,000 jurisdictions for 911, decisions made for equipment and budgets vary, and the system is missing crucial redundancies that could prevent such incidents.
The FCC is actively working to address these vulnerabilities and ensure a more resilient and reliable emergency response system nationwide.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com.