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Multistate 911 Outage Caused by Light Pole Installation, Telecom Company Confirms

The outage affected emergency services in several states, highlighting vulnerabilities in the 911 system.

Emergency and urgency, dialing 911 on smartphone screen. Shallow depth of field.
A dispatcher with Anne Arundel County Fire Department answers a 911 emergency call from their department dispatch center, in Glen Burnie, Md., on April 14, 2020.
A New York City Police Department ambulance carrying the remains of Officer Jonathan Diller drives out from under Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in New York, late Monday, March 25, 2024. Diller was shot and killed during a traffic stop, Mayor Eric Adams said. (AP Photo/Jeenah Moon)
View of the Las Vegas strip on Sept. 10, 2022.

Overview

  • A light pole installation disrupted 911 services in Nevada, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Texas, causing significant outages.
  • Telecommunications company Lumen identified the cause and restored services within hours, apologizing for the inconvenience.
  • The FCC has launched an investigation into the incident to understand the cause and impact of the outage.
  • Experts criticize the fragility of the 911 system, calling for increased modernization and regulation.
  • Local officials remind residents to save non-emergency numbers as alternatives for contacting emergency services during outages.