Tens of thousands of Americans faced major disruptions early Thursday morning as AT&T’s cellular network experienced widespread outages, affecting not only AT&T customers but also those on Verizon and T-Mobile networks. The service interruption left many unable to call, text, or access the internet and has raised concerns over the reliability of our digital infrastructure.
The outage began just before 3:30 a.m. ET, hitting major cities, including Houston, Atlanta, and Miami, hard. Verizon and T-Mobile customers also had service issues when trying to communicate with AT&T users.
According to reports from Downdetector, a site that tracks service interruptions, AT&T’s outage peaked at more than 74,000 reports just after 9 a.m. ET, with users expressing frustration and confusion over the lack of service and information. “AT&T is literally one of the most expensive phone companies, and y’all have the audacity to have a service outage for hours with zero updates being given to your customers?” one angry customer posted on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.
The San Francisco Fire Department took to X to advise residents of the service disruptions, especially concerning the inability to reach emergency services. They recommended that those unable to connect to 911 should try calling from a landline or contact someone with a different carrier to make the call on their behalf.
In response to the outage, AT&T spokesman Jim Greer advised customers to use Wi-Fi calling where possible and assured that the company was working urgently to restore service. By midday, AT&T reported that three-quarters of its network had been restored but offered no explanation for the cause of the outage.
🚨🚨🚨 IS AMERICA BEING ATTACKED BY AN EMP DRY RUN?🚨🚨🚨
In the middle of the night last night, there were mass cellular outages reported for uses of AT&T, @Verizon, Cricket Wireless, Boost Mobile and other uses as well.
Why would millions of people’s phones give them an SOS… pic.twitter.com/v4OXYjNfQM
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) February 22, 2024
The ripple effect of the AT&T outage was felt across other networks as well. Verizon and T-Mobile spokespersons reported normal network operations but acknowledged that their customers faced issues when interacting with AT&T subscribers. This incident demonstrates the vulnerability of our interconnected systems and the chaos that can ensue when one link in the chain fails.
UPDATE;
50K cellular users now reportedly without service…🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️
Carriers can’t explain the reason for the outages, saying THIS is the SECOND MAJOR OUTAGE in a week???😒🤷🏼♂️
First I’ve heard of it???
I’m not trying to scare anyone, folks, I just want you to be able to… pic.twitter.com/0qJUXTYBX9
— Trevor Thacker (@trethack24) February 22, 2024
Customers and public safety officials alike were left in a bind, showcasing cellular service’s critical role in our daily lives, not just for personal communication but for essential services and emergency responses. The San Francisco Fire Department’s warning and the widespread inability to reach 911 underscore the potential danger in such outages.
The outages and their impacts have sparked discussions about the need for more robust and reliable communication networks, especially as people increasingly rely on mobile phones for everyday and emergency communications. The incident has also prompted a call for transparency from service providers, as customers demand timely updates and explanations for service disruptions.
By midday Thursday, the situation improved. Still, many were left questioning the preparedness of major networks for unexpected failures and the measures in place to prevent future occurrences.
