On March 8^th, AT&T wireless customers across the country experienced a severe 911 outage that may have impacted close to 15,000 911 calls

In a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Pai, Klobuchar and Eshoo, both co-chairs of the NG911 Caucus, urged the FCC to provide the public with more information about the 911 wireless outage and to provide recommendations on how future 911 wireless outages can be avoided

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA) urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to update the public on the recent 911 wireless outage and provide recommendations on how future outages can be avoided. On March 8^th, AT&T wireless customers across the country experienced a severe 911 outage that may have impacted close to 15,000 911 calls. In a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Pai, Klobuchar and Eshoo, both co-chairs of the NG911 Caucus, urged the FCC to provide the public with more information about the 911 wireless outage and to provide recommendations on how future 911 wireless outages can be avoided.

“To the greatest extent possible, the results of the investigation should be made publically available so consumers are aware of the cause and impact of the outage,” the lawmakers wrote. “We also seek your recommendations on how future 911 wireless outages can be avoided. With an estimated 70 percent of the 240 million emergency 911 calls each year placed from wireless phones, and nearly 50 percent of Americans living in cell-phone-only households, it is critical that wireless 911 services are a reliable lifeline for consumers.”

Klobuchar is working with Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), the Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee, on the Next Generation 911 Act of 2017 that would help give states and localities the resources they need to accelerate the ongoing deployment of the next generation of 911 services. Earlier this year, Klobuchar and Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) introduced legislation to make contacting emergency personnel simpler and easier. In 2013, Kari Rene Hunt of Marshall, Texas, was murdered by her estranged husband in a hotel room. When Kari’s 9-year-old daughter tried to dial 911 for help, she could not reach emergency personnel because she did not dial “9” to reach an outside line. Kari’s Law would require the manufacturers of multi-line telephone systems (MLTS) to create systems that allow callers to reach 911 without dialing a prefix or postfix. The bill would also require on-site notification to make it easier for first responders to locate 911 callers in large buildings.

The full text of the lawmakers’ letter from today is below.

Dear Chairman Pai:

As Members who are actively engaged on 911 issues, we write to share our serious concerns regarding the recent outage of 911 emergency services for AT&T wireless customers on March 8.

We commend the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for taking swift action to launch an investigation on March 9 and we look forward to the discussion of the outage at your upcoming Open Meeting. To the greatest extent possible, the results of the investigation should be made publically available so consumers are aware of the cause and impact of the outage. In addition, we request you provide us with a formal briefing on the FCC’s findings, including the cause of the outage; how many customers were affected nationwide; how many 911 calls were disrupted; and how affected customers were notified of the outage.

We also seek your recommendations on how future 911 wireless outages can be avoided. With an estimated 70 percent of the 240 million emergency 911 calls each year placed from wireless phones, and nearly 50 percent of Americans living in cell-phone-only households, it is critical that wireless 911 services are a reliable lifeline for consumers.

We thank you for your attention to this matter and we look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,

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