A backup plan is crucial in the event of an AT&T network outage that disrupts 911 services, as demonstrated by the recent incident.

On Tuesday, some areas experienced system outages affecting 911 services for AT&T users.

The surge in outages began in major U.S. cities around 5 p.m. ET and declined around 10 p.m., according to Downdetector, a real-time online reporter of cellphone, internet and other outages.

The National Emergency Number Association, a U.S. nonprofit organization that focuses on 911 operations, technology, education, and policy issues, spoke with Planet Chronicle Digital about the implications of the outage and its impact on 911 services.

It is crucial for wireless-only households to explore other options during emergencies, according to NENA CEO Brian Fontes.

It is crucial to have a 911 plan in place, whether you are using an IP VoIP system or any other network, as 90% of 911 calls come from wireless devices, according to Fontes.

"NENA CTO Brandon Abley stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that outages of this kind should not occur frequently, but it is essential to have backups in place, even if it is not an emergency call to 911. He added that having a secondary means of making a phone call can be beneficial in case of any other emergency. This is a standard practice on the public safety side, and it is part of their DNA."

In April, Fontes and Abley discussed with FOX Business the need to modernize 911 emergency services. On Wednesday, they reiterated this need.

Congress has not yet passed funding for NENA to update the nation's 911 systems, despite acknowledgement of the need by other federal agencies like the Department of Transportation and FCC.

""Ensuring full funding for Next Generation 911 is a bipartisan issue that needs to be addressed so that all 911 systems in the US can provide equal service to everyone," Abley stated."

The objective of NG911 is to modernize outdated 911 systems that are unable to handle incoming calls and data from new and evolving technologies.

Abley stated that in wireless-only households, having a fallback option could be useful when the primary wireless service is unavailable for extended periods. As we transition to NG911, this could become a more common use case, helping to minimize interruptions.

On Tuesday, AT&T informed Planet Chronicle Digital that they were working to resolve a software problem that might impact a small number of their customers' ability to connect to their wireless network.

Our top priority is to keep our customers connected, and we value their patience as we work to resolve this issue, an AT&T spokesperson stated.

The FCC is investigating Tuesday's outage on Planet Chronicle Digital and has no additional information to share at the moment.

An investigation into whether AT&T violated FCC rules by failing to deliver 911 calls to – and failing to timely notify – 911 call centers in connection with an outage experienced on Aug. 22, 2023, in parts of Illinois, Kansas, Texas and Wisconsin, resulted in a $950,000 settlement with the FCC, which came a day after the announcement.

The FCC announced that AT&T will implement a three-year compliance plan to ensure future adherence to the FCC's 911 and outage notification rules as part of the settlement.

Planet Chronicle Digital's Lorraine Taylor contributed to this report.