FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PSC CLOSES LUMEN INVESTIGATION ISSUES FINDINGS
Lincoln, January 14, 2025- The Nebraska Public Service
Commission has approved an Order (911-075/PI-248,
911-077/C-5581/PI-252) closing its investigation and
issuing its findings into three separate 911 outages/
disruptions involving telecommunications carrier
Lumen.
The three separate Lumen outages/disruptions occurred
on August 31, 2023, April 17 & July 9, 2024, impacting
911 service over a wide area of Lumens’ Nebraska network.
“Lumen guaranteed, and we expect Nebraska’s 911 system
to be available 99.999 percent (five-nines) of the time, and
that didn’t happen,” said Commission Chair Tim Schram.
Through its investigation and hearings, the Commission
finds that Lumen’s level of performance was not acceptable
for Nebraska’s 911 system and that the carrier failed to meet
the level of service provided within its state contract.
Commission Chair Schram said, “While Lumen has engaged
in substantial work to improve its network, the carrier’s lack
of redundancy and diversity remains a concern.”
The Commission directed the State 911 Department to
identify potential changes to the state’s current 911 system.
To support the process, Commission consultant 911
Authority will conduct an independent verification and
validation of the Next Generation 911 system provided by
Lumen.
State 911 Department Director, David Sankey said, “This
independent testing is important to determine whether Lumen
is capable of fulfilling its contractual obligations to provide
the level of service the Commission expects and demands
moving forward.”
Additional information to include the Order can be found on
the PSC website at < https://psc.nebraska.gov/lumen-
affiliates-911-outage-investigation >. ###
Contact:
Deb Collins- Communications & Media Mgr.
(402) 471-0226 / deb.collins@nebraska.gov
