Something as simple as a broken water pipe brought the communications network of an entire state to its knees last week. Users of broadband, emergency 911 and landline services across Iowa suffered a major disruption caused by a water pipe break in the Des Moines, IA facility operated by Lumen Technologies/CenturyLink (NYSE: LUMN). The water flooded an area that had an electrical system powering critical network equipment.
As a result, Des Moines Police reported that they were not receiving landline 911 calls but continued to receive wireless emergency calls. Several hospitals, including MercyOne, the Iowa Clinic and UnityPoint, all reported problems receiving inbound calls across the state, according to the Des Moines Register. The telco had to reroute power around the compromised components of the electrical system in order to reinitiate service.
“Early in the morning, water from the pipe leaked through to the basement and collected in the risers, which then collapsed. Teams were unable to use the on-site generators because they were routed through the collapsed risers. In order to preserve the equipment, field operations have had to power down at varying times as the issue remains ongoing,” Lumen said in a statement.
By 9 p.m., most of the broadband service had been restored, and work on the 911 service was completed over the weekend.
By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor
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