State regulators fine CenturyLink $2.85 million for 911 outage

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — State regulators have fined CenturyLink $2.85 million for a statewide 911 outage in April 2014.


The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission said Monday they approved a settlement between the company and commission staff following an investigation into the outage that disrupted emergency services for six hours.

In addition to the fine, the company must also regularly report to the commission on 911 circuit reliability and the transition to a more advanced 911 system.

CenturyLink also admitted to violations for failing to automatically re-route 911 calls and failing to maintain and manage the 911 system as required by law.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a statement he is disappointed in the settlement, saying it amounts to a slap on the wrist for CenturyLink.

CenturyLink is the provider of 911 services for the state's 7 million residents.