FCC Fines Charter Communications $15 Million for Network Outage Reporting Violations

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced a $15 million settlement with Charter Communications following an investigation into the company's compliance with 911 and network outage notification rules. The settlement, announced on July 29, 2024, addresses violations that occurred during several network outages in 2023.

Charter admitted to violating FCC rules regarding notifications to public safety officials and the Commission in connection with three unplanned network outages and hundreds of planned, maintenance-related network outages last year. In one significant incident, Charter failed to notify over 1,000 emergency call centers about a service disruption affecting 911 service.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel emphasized the critical nature of 911 services, stating, "A 911 call is likely the most important call a person will ever make. Public safety officials need to be able to inform the public of alternate ways to reach emergency services in the event of an outage."

As part of the settlement, Charter will not only pay the $15 million civil penalty but also implement a comprehensive compliance plan. Notably, this plan includes first-of-its-kind cybersecurity measures related to 911 communications services and network outage reporting. These measures encompass network segmentation and vulnerability mitigation management.

The settlement also requires Charter to maintain and evolve its overall cybersecurity risk management program in accordance with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework and other applicable industry standards and laws.

Loyaan A. Egal, Chief of the FCC's Enforcement Bureau, stressed the seriousness of 911 rule violations and the bureau's commitment to ensuring communications providers adhere to these critical public safety rules.

The investigation focused on several specific incidents, including a network outage on February 19, 2023, which was determined to be the result of a minor Denial of Service (DoS) attack. Additional outages on March 31 and April 26, 2023, were also part of the investigation, along with hundreds of planned maintenance-related outages that Charter failed to report to the Commission.

This settlement underscores the FCC's increasing focus on network resilience and cybersecurity in critical communications infrastructure. It serves as a reminder to all communications providers of the importance of timely and accurate reporting of network outages, especially those affecting emergency services.

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