The FCC Enforcement Bureau proposed a $100,000 fine...
The FCC Enforcement Bureau proposed a $100,000 fine against a small Oklahoma phone company for allegedly routing 911 calls from the state’s Caddo County to an automated AT&T operator message, which instructed callers to “hang up and dial 911” if…
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the call is an emergency. The Hinton Telephone Company allegedly allowed calls to be routed to the automated message even after company officials discovered what was happening, the bureau said Monday (http://bit.ly/1p5flg5). Hinton made changes only after contacted by an FCC investigator, the bureau said. The FCC charged Hinton with “repeatedly violating our rules, and created a significant threat to the life and property of the residents of Caddo County.” The order calls the company’s actions “unconscionable” and said they warrant “a substantial penalty.” The bureau noted the importance of 911 to all callers: “911 is the single most critical tool for citizen emergency communications. The American public universally relies upon 911 in a time of crisis."