One of the telecommunications companies involved in a series of 911 outages in Nebraska over the past year, Windstream, has agreed to invest more than $1 million in upgrades to its infrastructure and network. This agreement follows a settlement with state regulators, who decided to dismiss a complaint they had filed against the company. Windstream, based in Arkansas, was responsible for three significant 911 service outages between September 2023 and January 2024. The decision comes after a water leak at its Lincoln data center caused a chain reaction that led to sporadic 911 service in Southeast Nebraska for several hours on September 2-3, 2023.
The water leak resulted in an electrical short that triggered a fire and minor explosion, which left the facility without commercial power. As a result, Windstream had to rely on a backup generator that failed after about 13 hours, forcing the company to use batteries to maintain operations. When the battery levels dropped dangerously low, one of the company’s three switches had to be powered down, disrupting 911 services across the region.
The outage, along with two shorter disruptions in November and January, led to an investigation by the State 911 Department, resulting in a formal complaint being filed against Windstream in July. The complaint alleged that the company had not complied with state and federal requirements regarding the operation and reliability of 911 services, which had eroded public trust in the system.
The recent settlement requires Windstream to complete a series of upgrades to enhance its 911 network by December 31, 2025. If the company fails to meet this deadline, it will face penalties of $1,000 per day. Windstream has already started implementing several measures outlined in the remediation plan, such as repairing its generator and adding a third fiber network path to ensure uninterrupted service during future disruptions.
Public Service Commission Chair Dan Watermeier emphasized the need for accountability from telecommunications providers, stating that while Windstream’s cooperation is appreciated, the commission will continue to monitor the company’s progress. Windstream’s vice president of state government affairs, Trent Fellers, expressed the company’s commitment to being a reliable communications provider for Nebraskans and is optimistic that the new measures will strengthen their network.
Meanwhile, a separate investigation into Lumen, another telecommunications provider linked to ongoing 911 outages since last September, is still underway, with a hearing scheduled for early next month.
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