Kansas Telecom Update – Three Formal Complaints Filed Against Everfast Fiber Networks Alleging Prolonged Voice Network Outage
March 13, 2025 – Three formal complaints have been filed with the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) against Everfast Fiber Networks, a communications provider serving the Kansas City metro area. Each complaint is related to a lengthy voice network outage impacting Lakeview Village Inc., a retirement community in Johnson County, Kansas.
Complaint 1 – Lakeview Village Residents
The first complaint was filed on February 22, 2025, by residents of Lakeview Village. They allege the outage began on February 7, 2025, and had not been fixed at the time the complaint was filed. The facts and circumstances included in the complaint are as follows:
“We have had no line (phone/landline) since Feb. 7, 2025, more than 2 wks. This outage affects all 500 of the residents of our retirement community, Lakeview Village, 9100 Park, and our own apartment.”
In the final section of the complaint where a complainant can request the KCC to take action to resolve the complaint, the Lakeview Village residents provided the following statement: “We want our landline phone service restored.” The KCC Docket Number for the proceeding is 25-EFNT-330-COM.
Complaints 2 & 3 – Lakeview Village
On February 28, 2025, the CFO and COO of Lakeview Village filed two formal complaints against Everfast Fiber Networks. The KCC Docket Numbers for the two formal complaints are 25-EFNT-342-COM and 25-EFNT-343-COM. Both complaints provide the following facts and circumstances:
On or about February 1st, 2025 Lakeview Village determined a phone outage on campus. This was then reported to Everfast, where Lakeview was first told this would be resolved in a timely manner 48-72 hours. As time went on further during the week of 2/2/2025, Lakeview was told it was a network card down and one was overnighted and the redundancy that they thought existed did not. It was not until approx 2/21/2025 that the majority of the residential lines were restored. Lakeview continues to experience intermittent line outages and those are promptly reported to Everfast.
Complaint one contains the following statement: This account services approximately 200 lines including federally required services to our licensed Skilled Nursing Facility, Assisted Living Facility, Fire Panels, and Elevator Call Boxes. Complaint two contains the following statement: This account services approximately 665 residential phone lines purchased under a bulk services agreement. In the final section of each complaint, Lakeview Village requests that the following actions be ordered by the KCC to resolve the complaints:
Everfast to have necessary equipment in place for redundancy should a similar event happen in the future.
Everfast to improve and provide daily communication when an outage does take place.
Everfast provide a guaranteed level of service with 99.99% uptime on the residential phone lines.
Lakeview Village Complaints – KCC Order Making Prima Facie Determination And Consolidating Docket
At the Kansas Corporation Commission’s meeting on March 13, 2025, the KCC approved an Order on Prima Facie Determination and Consolidating Dockets.[1] In the Order, the KCC analyzed whether Lakeview Village’s complaints meet the prima facie requirements in K.A.R. 82-1-220(b). That section states that formal complaints must meet the following conditions:
(1) Fully and completely advise each respondent and the commission as to the provisions of law or the regulations or orders of the commission that have been or are being violated by the acts or omissions complained of, or that will be violated by a continuance of acts or omissions;
(2) set forth concisely and in plain language the facts claimed by the complainant to constitute the violations; and
(3) state the relief sought by the complainant.
Ultimately, the KCC concluded the complaints meet the prima facie requirements. The complaints will be served on Everfast Fiber Networks. Everfast’s answer is due within 10 days of service.
*****
[1] Complaint Against Everfast Fiber Networks By Lakeview Village, Inc., Docket Nos. 25-EFNT-342-COM and 25-EFNT-343-COM, Order on Prima Facie Determination and Consolidating Dockets (Mar. 13, 2025), https://estar.kcc.ks.gov/estar/ViewFile.aspx/20250313102034307.pdf?Id=afca033d-63eb-4a4f-9cc2-3cbd9cca227c.
