Customers of Verizon experienced widespread cellular outages across the United States starting around noon ET on Wednesday, marking a significant interruption in service. Many users reported being unable to make phone calls or access mobile data. Similar disruptions were reported for Verizon broadband internet service, and even customers of AT&T and T-Mobile noted difficulties, likely related to the issues affecting Verizon.
Verizon’s spokesperson acknowledged the situation, stating, “We are aware of an issue impacting wireless voice and data services for some customers. Our engineers are engaged and are working to identify and solve the issue quickly.” Despite T-Mobile and AT&T asserting that their networks operated normally, they confirmed that customers might face challenges reaching Verizon users.
Reports on the outage tracking platform DownDetector indicated a surge in complaints about service disruption from the three major U.S. mobile providers. Many customers, using both iOS and Android devices, found their phones displaying an SOS mode, which restricts them to emergency calls only. Unfortunately, this functionality also affected the ability to call 911 for some individuals.
In response to the outage, Washington, DC’s emergency alert channel cautioned users about the Verizon wireless outage that could hinder connections to 911. They advised that anyone experiencing difficulties should use devices from other networks, landlines, or physically report emergencies to a local police or fire station.
Previously, similar incidents have shown that problems with one carrier can impact other telecommunications providers, as collapsed network infrastructure can prevent call routing. Syed Rafiul Hussain, a mobile network security researcher, suggested that the cause might be linked to a server configuration issue within Verizon’s core network, dismissing the likelihood of a coordinated attack on the network.
