Nebraska services commission approves Windstream plan to address 911 outages
Remediation includes enhancing backups, adding third network path, and soliciting evaluation from independent auditor
LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) - The Nebraska Public Service Commission said Wednesday that it has come to an agreement with a communications provider in the wake of three separate 911 outages that have occurred in the past year.
The remediation plan with Windstream includes dismissing the department’s complaint against the telecom company, which agrees to follow through with improvements, including:
- enhancing backup systems to address power outages
- adding a third network path to further guard against outages
- engaging a third party to conduct an independent audit on the reliability and engineering of Windstream’s Nebraska network
“Through this agreement, Windstream has committed to improving public safety communications by investing more than $1 million into its network reliability and diversity,” Commission Chair Dan Watermeier said in a statement. “The agreement provides for civil penalties if Windstream does not complete the agreed upon enhancements and improvements by the end of 2025.”
State 911 Department director David Sankey’s complaint against came after an investigation into three service disruptions that happened between September 2023 and January 2024.
In July, NPSC officials reported that a months-long investigation revealed that Windstream may have been violating provider regulations for 911 telephone services throughout the state.
The 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.
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