Hearing to look into recent 911 outage in Nebraska reportedly caused by Windstream

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) –We’ll soon be getting a glimpse at an investigation into recent 911 outages across the state.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission is holding a hearing on Thursday while it conducts its investigation into a recent Windstream outage. 

Officials said this hearing is to receive testimony and gather evidence relevant to its investigation.

The commission said the outage happened Sept. 2-3. Initial reports indicate a fire at a Windstream facility in Lincoln combined with the failure of a backup generator led to the 911 outages across southeast Nebraska, including Lincoln. 

This was just one of several instances this year of outages, which is concerning for lawmakers.

“Now it’s sort of third time’s a charm,” Sen. John Fredrickson told Channel 8 earlier this year. “This is no longer seeming random; this is seeming more like a pattern.” 

There were two statewide outages last summer as well, both caused by problems at local communication companies. 

As far as the Windstream outage goes, the Nebraska Public Service Commission said 18 of the 20 “public safety answering points” connected to the company experienced a disruption to 911 calls, including the Lincoln Police Department. 

Thursday’s hearing on this issue is scheduled for 9 a.m. Public comment will not be taken but you can watch the hearing on the Nebraska Public Service Commission’s website.