SOCIAL IMPACT OF SOCIAL IMPACT OF TELEPHONE / 911 OUTAGESTELEPHONE / 911 OUTAGES

Bob Oenning, EMP

Washington State E911 Program

b.oenning@emd.wa.gov

Success is the Enemy

• People Expect 100% Reliability– Traditional switched networks deliver

• Telephone Networks set the standard– It is newsworthy when they fail– They even work when the power is out– Customers hold wireless to the landline standard

• 911 is Always Available

Psychology of 100%

• You Become Invisible– Support for improvements is fleeting– Maintenance intervals get extended– Less staff get retained

• Customers Forget Alternatives– Mitigation is not even considered

• At Discovery of No Service– Attributes of Panic Become Evident

911 is The Critical Service• Has Been Sold Very Well

– People expect it to work • First time, Every time• Regardless of the circumstances• When other services have failed

• When 911 is Not Available– People begin to panic – The network can be impacted– It becomes a page one story– Elected Officials Promise to Fix It

Today’s 911 Networks• An Integral Part of Telecommunications

– Integrated with the switched network– Rely on the network for every element– Have complex interdependences– Details understood by few

911 Network Topology

VoIP N

ot

Inclu

ded

Outages Do Happen

• Excavation Equipment– Localized, Maybe not– Hours to Repair

• Human Error– Probably Not Localized– Quick Repair

• Power– Situation Dependent– Can be Days

911 Network Topology

Trends in Networks

• Fiber Everywhere– Share with others– Increased capacity– All services on it

• Distributed Elements– Fiber hubs– Cell sites– Large Capacity CPE

Backhoe fade is

shared

BATTERIES HAVE

LIMITED

CAPACITY

We Are Not Doomed

• When Service is Disrupted– Have a contingency plan for 911– Keep the public informed– Build a relationship with the press– Give elected officials something to do/say

• Use the Visibility to Be Less Vulnerable– Collaborate with power companies– Get generators– Improve the Locate service

We Are Not Doomed

• When Service is DisruptedWhen Service is Disrupted– Have a contingency plan for 911Have a contingency plan for 911– Keep the public informedKeep the public informed– Build a relationship with the pressBuild a relationship with the press– Give elected officials something to do/sayGive elected officials something to do/say

• Use the Visibility to Be Less Vulnerable– Collaborate with power companies– Get generators– Improve the Locate service

NG911 WILL BE BETTER

• NO!– The big switched network doesn’t fail– The big internet has limits– The Internet is on the same facilities– The local ISP may not have a generator– The overload conditions just sound different

• NG 911 Will Be Very Complex– Network management is essential

Windstorm Examples

• Planning has huge dividends• No generators at field sites due to zoning• Cable systems need power at lots of places• 911 can handle loads at 4x normal• Frustration generates 911 calls• Asking for help is a good idea• Sharing information is a good idea• Minor 911 problems get undeserved

attention