AT&T attributes mass 911 outages in 3 states to fiber cuts made by 'third parties'

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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mass 911 outages that swept across parts of Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama on Thursday afternoon were caused by fiber cuts made by “third parties," according to a statement from AT&T.

Initial reports of outages were circulating around 2 p.m. in Mississippi. By 4:45 p.m., AT&T reported service had been restored in all three states.

“911 service continues to operate normally across previously affected areas in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama," the AT&T statement said. “We understand how important these services are and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”

AT&T also said the outages were “at no time statewide," contradicting some reports from local authorities.