Software upgrade malfunction muddles service for MTA customers

Derek Casanovas/Frontiersman

Around 3,000 Matanuska Telephone Association customers lost local, cellular or long-distance phone services early Friday morning when a software upgrade malfunctioned.

MTA Public Relations Manager Jackie Kenshalo said company technicians were updating switching equipment, electronic software used to direct phone calls to their recipients, when the malfunction occurred.

“It’s basically the brains of the switch,” Kenshalo said.

Kenshalo said customers trying to complete long-distance, local or cellular phone calls were unable to connect, and credit and debit card transactions processed through the long-distance lines were also affected.

When the update failed, technicians attempted to reload the previous version of the software. The backup software was also unsuccessful in routing calls.

“99.9 percent of the [upgrades] are smooth,” Kenshalo said, as the company only informs their customers of the upgrades when snags occur due to frequent updates of their systems.

Kenshalo said the company then worked directly with the software vendor, Lucent Technologies, to get most services in working order by 12:15 p.m.

MTA serves approximately 30,000 local phone subscribers in their coverage area from Hiland Road in Eagle River to Clear Air Force Base.