MARQUETTE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Peninsula Fiber Network experienced a system error on Tuesday, January 10 that impacted service to 911 dispatch centers across the state.
Officials tracked down an error that occurred in the company’s optical transport network resulting in database corruption, causing a hardware/software mismatch resulting in some 911 calls to not be completed as expected or calls that lacked critical caller and address information.
PFN technicians discovered a disruption in the company’s optical transport service at roughly 3:15 pm on January 10, which cause the redundancy mechanism that supports the network to malfunction causing statewide disruptions. Technicians were then able to set up a call bridge with 911 dispatch centers across the state within 20 minutes to troubleshoot the problem and ensure calls were rerouted while the equipment was being serviced.
“We take our mission-critical role in delivering consistent and reliable service to Michigan’s 911 operators very seriously and build multiple redundancies into our network. We also work with dispatch center managers to ensure processes are in place to reroute calls between centers when unexpected issues occur,” said Peninsula Fiber Network General Manager Scott Randall. “Despite our best preparations, some calls were still disrupted and for that we are deeply sorry. We are now making several upgrades to the whole system to eliminate the possibility of additional network errors in the future.”
PFN is investing $6 million to expedite the redesign of its network and install new optical transport network equipment that will improve the resilience of its 911 system.
This work is scheduled to be completed over the next several months.
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