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The recent Lumen 911 outage that affected four states has brought into sharp focus the critical need to update and fortify our emergency response systems. Spanning across a significant geographical area, the outage impacted both landline and cellular access to 911 services, a scenario that presents a sobering reminder of the vulnerabilities inherent in our aging emergency infrastructure. Yet, amidst the concerns, there emerges a beacon of progress: the ongoing shift towards a Next Generation 911 (NG911) solution, which apparently remained unaffected during the outage, thus demonstrating the robustness and forward-thinking design of this emerging technology.
The legacy Enhanced 911 (E911) network, which dates back to 1968, is at the heart of this conversation. Initially implemented to route 911 calls to local police departments, the network has since evolved to include functionalities such as selective routing and capturing calling line identification (CLI) from the originating device, which is used to query against a database that provides the call taker with vital information such as the appropriate agency to dispatch and the installation address as provisioned by the local telephone company.
However, this functionality had to change as cellular devices gained in popularity, along with their nomadic behavior that posed location challenges. It was only in the widespread adoption of smartphones, which readily collect and transmit this data to PSAPs that a significant stride was made in addressing location challenges. Landline carrier services also adapted, moving to an over-the-top SIP model that uses segments of the public Internet for transport with core telephony features and capabilities in the cloud. This 911 environment required the creation of a secondary, parallel 911 data network to support digital information and connectivity, as the legacy 911 network was initially designed for voice services only.
The outage, which is still under investigation with Lumen and has yet to publish an official report on the root cause, preliminarily points to a third-party contractor’s work on a light pole in Kansas as the trigger. In Texas, the outage is claimed to be a separate incident, coincidentally concurrent with the Kansas event. Notwithstanding the precise causes, the interruption highlighted a stark reality: while the legacy systems floundered in virtual isolation, services utilizing the new IP-based NG911 networks remained operational, bypassing the impacted infrastructure entirely.
NG911 represents a paradigm shift in emergency services. With its IP-based architecture, NG911 introduces numerous benefits, including physical and geographic redundancy of network components, known as functional elements, and direct data delivery from the originating network or endpoint to the NG911-enabled call taker. Unlike the legacy E911 system, tethered to a single-point-of-failure-prone network, NG911’s resilient architecture allows for software-defined virtual point-to-point connections, enhancing reliability and continuity of service.
911 industry leader Brian Fontes, CEO of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), recently underscored the urgency of Congressional funding for NG911 deployment. Fontes said, “[W]e know that threats to connectivity are exacerbated in the legacy 9-1-1 environment, where specialized 9-1-1 trunks and selective routers create single points of failure. This incident makes it clear that Congress must fund Next Generation 9-1-1 deployment so that every state and community can better withstand disasters and cyberattacks.” Fontes stressed that such investment is necessary for modernizing the infrastructure and bolstering it against disasters and cyberattacks.
As we ponder the implications of the Lumen 911 outage, it is crucial to recognize that the transition to NG911 is not merely an upgrade but a complete overhaul—a reimagining of how emergency services are delivered. The legacy databases and selective router architecture, mainstays of the E911 system, are quickly becoming obsolete, posing a significant challenge for legacy providers to adapt.
This inflection point in emergency response technology also underscores the need for public education. Change, while inevitably inherent and difficult, can be embraced more readily with a deeper understanding of its benefits. In the case of NG911, the advantages are clear: increased reliability, enhanced data capabilities, and greater resilience against failure points. Wrapping up; while the recent outages have exposed the fragility of the current E911 system, they also highlight the imperative for change and advancement. As we continue to develop NG911 solutions, it is imperative that we also focus on public awareness, ensuring that all stakeholders—providers, responders, and the community at large—are informed and prepared for the transition. This is not merely a technological upgrade; it is a critical step toward a more secure and effective emergency response system for everyone.
The World According to Fletch . . . 