Nebraska PSC: Windstream may have violated regulations leading to 911 outages

LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) - The Nebraska Public Service Commission has opened a complaint against a telephone provider responsible for three separate 911 outages in the past year.

Following a months-long investigation, officials with the NPSC found that telecommunications company Windstream may have been in violation of regulations while providing 911 telephone services throughout the state.

“Through our investigation we have determined that violations of Commission regulations may have occurred,” NPSC Chair Dan Watermeier said in a press release Tuesday. “The complaint, provides the Commission the ability to hold the carrier accountable through punitive actions.”

The three incidents in question took place on Sept. 2-3 and Nov. 28, 2023, as well as Jan. 13 of this year. As part of the investigation, the NPSC held a public hearing where it received input from a third-party expert regarding Windstream’s network and how it stacked up to the state’s requirements for a 911 service provider.

By opening a complaint, the NPSC can now explore sanctions and fines against Windstream consistent with potential violations. A hearing on the complaint is scheduled for Aug. 27-28.

“The Commission and the public must have accountability from our telecommunications carriers in providing a redundant system capable of delivering 911 calls no matter the situation.”

The release came just hours before another 911 outage was reported in Lancaster County on Tuesday afternoon, where police said Verizon customers were experiencing difficulty with emergency calls.

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