PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A South Dakota board has voted to withhold payments to the company upgrading the state’s 911 emergency system because of recurring bugs.
The state’s 911 Coordination Board sent a letter to NextGen Communications Inc. (Comtech) of Annapolis, Maryland, Thursday saying the monthly payments of $259,000 wouldn’t be sent until the company fixes the issues.
The South Dakota Department of Public Safety says the company started upgrading the system in 2015 and has collected $7.4 million for design, construction and maintenance.
The department says while there are issues in some areas, the 911 system is still functional statewide.
A company official did not immediately return requests for comment.
The new technology is meant to make it easier for call centers to share information and will eventually let people send texts for an emergency response if they can’t call 911.
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