After AT&T customers hit by widespread outage, carrier says service has been restored
Consumers of many U.S. cell company reported failures and other service problems very early Thursday morning, according to the website Downdetector.com, which tracks such records. AT&T had the most by far, with 10s of thousands of customers telling Downdetector they had no solution.
A fewer number of consumers from T-Mobile, Verizon, United States Mobile, and Customer Cellular have actually also elevated issues. In spite of this, T-Mobile and Verizon have actually validated that their networks are working effectively, although some clients might be experiencing difficulties when attempting to get in touch with individuals on various networks.
AT&T failure records began around 4 a.m. Eastern Time, according to Downdetector. They originally reduced after regarding two hours, yet after that raised again to about 60,000 by 11 a.m. Eastern Time.
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However by 3:10 p.m. EST on Thursday AT&T said the problem had actually been fixed.
AT&T introduced on its website that they have actually successfully reestablished cordless service for all consumers who were impacted. They expressed authentic regret for the inconvenience caused and emphasized their commitment to prioritizing customer connectivity. Additionally, they mentioned that they are implementing measures to prevent a similar issue from occurring in the future.
Thursday evening, the company stated that the outage was caused by a software bug.
“Our preliminary investigation suggests that the service disruption was not the result of a cyber attack, but rather the implementation of an incorrect procedure during our network expansion. We are continuing to evaluate the situation to ensure that we can maintain the high level of service our customers expect.”
AT&T service disruptions and issues have been reported.
The map displays the density of problem reports submitted by users on Downdetector within the past 24 hours. Areas marked in darker red indicate a higher volume of reports.
Authorities advise against testing phone functionality by calling 911 unnecessarily.
Numerous 911 centers in Massachusetts are receiving an influx of calls from individuals testing the functionality of 911 services from their cellphones. The Massachusetts State Police have taken to social media to advise against this practice, emphasizing that it hinders the ability of genuine emergency calls to get through. Similarly, the Office of Emergency Management & Communications in Chicago has issued a statement, urging residents to utilize landlines or seek assistance from someone with a different service provider, such as a friend or relative, to contact 911 in case of a genuine emergency. This is to avoid congestion in the 911 system and ensure timely response to actual emergencies.
Some municipalities experienced difficulties with 911 service.
The San Francisco Fire Department said in a post on X, “We are aware of an issue impacting AT&T wireless customers from making and receiving any phone calls (including to 911). We are actively engaged and monitoring this. The San Francisco 911 center is still operational.”
In North Carolina, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg3:15 a.m. EST that there was a widespread issue affecting AT&T cellphone users, preventing them from contacting 9-1-1 briefly. However, the police department assured that their call center was still able to receive 9-1-1 calls without any interruptions and that the service was expected to be restored soon.
In the state of Florida, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office issued a notification at 6:43 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, stating that texts to 911 from AT&T users in affected areas are now being received. If you are experiencing an emergency and are unable to make a voice call, you can send a text message to 911 for assistance.
The transit system serving Philadelphia and its suburbs, SEPTA, said on X that, “Due to AT&T communication outages, some trains may reflect a delay, however all trains are operating on or close to schedule.”
AT&T outage
As of 8 a.m. ET on Thursday, Downdetector received over 60,000 reports from AT&T customers experiencing service disruptions. The majority of issues were related to mobile phone and wireless service problems. The cities with the highest number of outages include Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Louisville, Miami, and San Antonio, according to Downdetector.
Verizon
Verizon informed CBS News that its network was functioning as usual, despite some customers facing difficulties on Thursday when trying to communicate with individuals on different carriers. The company mentioned that it was actively monitoring the situation.
T-Mobile
A spokesperson for T-Mobile said it didn’t experience an outage and that its network was operating normally.
“Downdetector is likely reflecting challenges our customers were having attempting to connect to users on other networks,” the spokesperson said.
UScellular
UScellular also told CBS News that its network was operating normally.
“We are cognizant of a potential interruption that may be affecting US Cellular customers who are trying to roam or make calls to subscribers of a different carrier,” the company stated.
How to turn on Wi-Fi calling
Even if you have no cellular service, you should be able to make phone calls using wireless internet access, which is what AT&T is recommending for its customers.
To turn on Wi-Fi calling on an iPhone, go to “settings,” then “phone” and next click on “Wi-Fi” calling. Apple says you may need to confirm or enter your address for emergency services.
As you browse your phone’s control center, you may notice the label “Wi-Fi” in the status bar. This indicates that your device is utilizing a wireless internet connection, such as the one available in your home or office, to facilitate calls.
Google suggests that to enable Wi-Fi calling on Android devices, you should first open the, navigate to “more settings,” then select “calls,” and finally choose “Wi-Fi calling.” If you don’t see this option, it indicates that your carrier does not support Wi-Fi calling, as per Google’s information.
What does SOS mean on my phone?
Some customers reported seeing an “SOS” message on their iPhones.
In situations where cellular service is limited, Apple explains that your phone can still be used for emergency calls even if the service is not widely available.
