At about 7:45 Thursday morning, April 1, Windstream Communications
suffered a major landline telephone switch failure. The result was a
loss of landline telephone service at least 12 counties and 36,000
customers in Nebraska. There was also spotty loss of cell phone service
where cell sites were interconnected by Windstream. Emergency services,
including 911 centers, in Lincoln and several other communities were
left without landline telephone communications.

The Lancaster County Emergency Management Director, Doug Ahlberg,
activated the amateur radio "Y2K" plan. This plan places hams at
prominent intersections and, if need be, public emergency service
locations throughout the city. Since there was, in effect, no 911
service in the city, the Lincoln-Lancaster Emergency Operations Center
was activated and, under the direction of the ARRL Lancaster County
Emergency Coordinator, Reynolds Davis, KØGND, hams were assigned to the
EOC and 15 major intersections around the city. Emergency bulletins on
television and radio stations carried information about where hams were
stationed. Hams could help citizens obtain emergency services. They
also watched out for vehicle accidents and obstructions to traffic.

This is the fourth time that the "Y2K" plan, originally established in
anticipation of the loss of communications at the end of the last
century, has been used. Earlier activations were due to localized loss
of communications at dispatch centers.

By the time telephone service was restored, at 11:20 pm Thursday, 62
amateur radio operators had devoted a good part of the day to ensure
the safety of the people of Lincoln. Their calls we WØADI, KØAIZ,
NØAZN, N7AZN, WØBCL, KDØBCT, KDØBSA, KCØCDQ, NØCRL, KDØDEU, NØDEX,
KDØDIU, NØDIZ, KBØDNP, KDØDVR, WØEMA, KØEPP, WØERT, KDØEYM, WØEZ,
KCØFDL, NØFYE, KØGND, KAØGON, KDØHYM, KDØHZM, KD7ITK, KØJIC, KI6JOJ,
KØJSL, KEØJT, KBØKA, KCØKIE, ACØLN, NØLNK, NØLWL, NGØM, KD6MXE, KØNEB,
KCØOZE, WAØQYI, NØQYM, NØRHL, WBØRJJ, KNØRKY, KCØRSU, KBØRZP, KBØSND,
KCØSVX, KEØTAS, NØUJR, NØUXW, WØVDM, KCØVNJ, KCØVRL, WØWKP, KBØWZG,
NØXLT, NØXY, KCØZBB, KCØZBD and NØZXR.

There was significant press coverage with photographs, interviews, and
video clips of hams "on duty" presented to the public. The public was
reminded, once again, that when all else fails, there is ham radio.

Congratulations to everyone for a job well done.

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ARRL Nebraska Section
Section Manager: Arthur I. Zygielbaum, K0AIZ

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