Peninsula Fiber Network identifies source of 911 outage
Company commits $6M to system upgrades
MARQUETTE, Mich. — Peninsula Fiber Network experienced a system error on Jan. 10 that impacted service to 911 dispatch centers across the state. An error occurred in the company’s optical transport network, corrupting the database. This caused 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 p.m. on Jan. 10. The redundancy mechanism that supports the network then malfunctioned, causing statewide disruptions. PFN staff was 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.