Communications Status Report for 
Areas Impacted by Winter Storm Fern

January 31, 2026

This report provides information on the status of communications services in geographic areas impacted by Winter Storm Fern as of 10:00 a.m. EST on January 31, 2026.  This report incorporates network outage data submitted by communications providers to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS). On January 23, 2026 the Commission activated the Disaster Information Reporting System for communications impacted by the severe related to Winter Storm Fern. 
  We note that the operational status of communications services may evolve rapidly during a disaster.  The FCC will provide daily updates to this report until DIRS data collection is deactivated for this region. 
  
On January 24, 2026 DIRS was expanded to include additional counties in Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and West Virginia.

On January 25, 2026 DIRS was expanded to include additional counties in Kentucky and was partially deactivated for certain counties in South Carolina.

On January 26, 2025 DIRS was partially deactivated for certain counties in Kentucky and South Carolina and fully deactivated for counties in Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia

On January 27, 2026 DIRS was partially deactivated for certain counties in Tennessee and fully deactivated for the states of Kentucky and South Carolina.

On January 28, 2026 DIRS was partially deactivated for certain counties in Mississippi and expanded for additional counties in Tennessee.

On January 30, 2026 DIRS was deactivated for all counties in Mississippi.

The following counties and municipalities are in the current geographic area that is part of the DIRS activation area (the “disaster area”) for today’s report.

Tennessee:  Bledsoe, Benton, Blount, Cheatham, Chester, Clay, Cumberland, Davidson, Decatur, Dickson, Giles, Hamilton, Hardeman, Hardin, Hawkins, Henderson, Hickman, Lawrence, Lewis, Macon, Marshall, Maury, McNairy, Montgomery, Overton, Perry, Robertson, Rutherford, Sevier, Shelby, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, Wayne, Williamson, and Wilson






911 Services 

The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) learns the status of communications services provided to each Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) through the filings of 911 Service Providers in DIRS, reporting to the FCC’s Public Safety Support Center, coordination with state and territory 911 Administrators, and, if necessary, direct contact with individual PSAPs.

There are no PSAPs reported in DIRS as being affected.




Wireless Services
Percent of Cell Sites Out of Service




The following section describes the status of wireless communications services in the disaster area as reported in DIRS. 

The following tables provide information on cell sites out of service by county.  There is 0.8% of the cell sites in the affected area reported in DIRS as being out of service.  

Tennessee:

State
Affected Counties
Cell Sites Served
Cell Sites Out
Percent Out
Cell Sites Out Due to Damage
Cell Sites Out Due to Transport
Cell Sites Out Due to Power
Cell Sites Up but On Back-up Power
TN
BENTON
27
0
0%
0
0
0
0
TN
BLEDSOE
10
0
0%
0
0
0
0
TN
BLOUNT
77
0
0%
0
0
0
0
TN
CHEATHAM
38
0
0%
0
0
0
2
TN
CHESTER
20
0
0%
0
0
0
0
TN
CLAY
19
0
0%
0
0
0
0
TN
CUMBERLAND
52
0
0%
0
0
0
2
TN
DAVIDSON
1132
15
1.3%
0
4
11
70
TN
DECATUR
15
0
0%
0
0
0
1
TN
DICKSON
62
0
0%
0
0
0
0
TN
GILES
54
0
0%
0
0
0
0
TN
HAMILTON
169
0
0%
0
0
0
3
TN
HARDEMAN
37
0
0%
0
0
0
0
TN
HARDIN
27
0
0%
0
0
0
4
TN
HAWKINS
34
0
0%
0
0
0
0
TN
HENDERSON
39
1
2.6%
0
1
0
3
TN
HICKMAN
34
2
5.9%
0
0
2
6
TN
LAWRENCE
35
0
0%
0
0
0
0
TN
LEWIS
9
0
0%
0
0
0
1
TN
MACON
18
0
0%
0
0
0
1
TN
MARSHALL
37
2
5.4%
0
2
0
5
TN
MAURY
79
0
0%
0
0
0
0
TN
MCNAIRY
37
0
0%
0
0
0
5
TN
MONTGOMERY
137
0
0%
0
0
0
0
TN
OVERTON
27
0
0%
0
0
0
0
TN
PERRY
12
0
0%
0
0
0
3
TN
ROBERTSON
62
0
0%
0
0
0
0
TN
RUTHERFORD
222
2
0.9%
0
1
0
1
TN
SEVIER
90
1
1.1%
0
0
1
2
TN
SHELBY
1152
4
0.3%
0
3
0
5
TN
SMITH
20
0
0%
0
0
0
0
TN
SUMNER
133
5
3.8%
0
3
2
13
TN
TROUSDALE
8
0
0%
0
0
0
0
TN
WAYNE
17
0
0%
0
0
0
0
TN
WILLIAMSON
216
4
1.9%
0
2
2
7
TN
WILSON
120
0
0%
0
0
0
4
Total
 
4277
36
0.8%
0
16
18
138

There is 0.8% of cell sites reported as being out of service in the areas of Tennessee impacted by the severe winter weather.  Note that some cell site outages may be the result of multiple causes.

The number of cell site outages in a specific area does not necessarily correspond to the availability of wireless service to consumers in that area.  See Improving the Resiliency of Mobile Wireless Communications Networks, Order, 31 FCC Rcd 13745, para. 10 (2016) (recognizing the difficulties in accurately depicting the ongoing status of a wireless provider’s service during emergencies).  Wireless networks are often designed with numerous, overlapping cell sites that provide maximum capacity and continuity of service even when an individual site is inoperable.  In addition, wireless providers frequently use temporary facilities, such as cells-on-wheels (also known as COWs), increase power at operational sites, initiate roaming agreements, or take other actions to maintain service to affected consumers during emergencies or other events that result in cell site outages. 


Cable Systems and Wireline (Combined)

Cable and wireline companies reported 33,771 subscribers out of service in the disaster area.  This includes the loss of telephone, television, and/or Internet services.  

Broadcast: 

Television station status: 

· There is 1 TV station reported as being out of service.

FM Radio station status: 

· There is 1 FM station reported as being out of service.

AM Radio station status:  

· There are no AM stations reported as being out of service.  


Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative

The Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative was activated for Winter Storm Fern response activities on January 23, 2026.  As a reminder, all facilities-based mobile wireless providers operating in the above-referenced areas are hereby notified and required to: (1) provide for reasonable roaming under disaster arrangements when technically feasible; See 47 CFR § 4.17(a)(3)(i) (detailing criteria for activating roaming under disaster arrangements).  
 (2) activate mutual aid arrangements with other facilities-based mobile wireless providers for providing aid upon request to those providers during emergencies; See 47 CFR § 4.17(a)(3)(ii) (explaining what mutual aid arrangements must include).  
 (3) take reasonable measures to enhance municipal preparedness and restoration; (4) take reasonable measures to increase consumer readiness and preparation; and (5) take reasonable measures to improve public awareness and stakeholder communications on service and restoration status. 47 CFR § 4.17(a)(3)(i)-(v); see also FCC, Wireless Network Resiliency During Disasters (June 4, 2024), https://www.fcc.gov/wireless-network-resiliency-during-disasters.  
 


Special Temporary Authority (STA)/Waivers/Extensions

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) may grant Special Temporary Authority (STA) to permit immediate or temporary operation of certain radio facilities during emergencies or other urgent conditions, as well as waivers to support emergency communications and service restoration.

· On January 23, 2026, the FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau conditionally granted Federated Wireless, Inc.’s request for a precautionary, limited, and conditional emergency waiver of sections 96.67(c)(2) and (3) of the Commission’s rules governing the Citizens Broadband Radio Service.  The link(s) for the document are as follows: DA-26-73A1.docx , DA-26-73A1.pdf , DA-26-73A1.txt

· On January 30, 2026, the FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau conditionally granted Federated Wireless, Inc.’s request for a precautionary, limited, and conditional emergency waiver of sections 96.67(c)(2) and (3) of the Commission’s rules governing the Citizens Broadband Radio Service.  The link(s) for the document are as follows: DA-26-100A1.docx , DA-26-100A1.pdf , DA-26-100A1.txt