AT&T’s network went down across the United States On Thursday morning, leaving many of its customers unable to make calls, send texts, or access the internet. It’s a bit of a hiccup for those relying on their services!
While Verizon and T-Mobile customers also reported some network outages, they seemed to be less widespread. Both T-Mobile and Verizon stated that their networks were unaffected by the AT&T outage, and customers trying to report outages might face difficulties reaching AT&T’s customer service.
In a nutshell, if you’re an AT&T customer, you might have experienced some communication hiccups on Thursday morning. But don’t worry too much – it looks like the issue is being addressed. And to Verizon and T-Mobile users, it seems like you dodged this particular network outage bullet!
More than 64,000 AT&T customers reported disruptions on the digital-service tracking site DownDetector. That’s not a small number, but it’s important to note that this only tracks self-reported outages. While there was a slight dip in outage reports around 5 AM ET, they bounced back around 7 AM ET and continued to rise.
AT&T acknowledged there’s a significant disruption, but they haven’t specified any reasons for the system failure.
“Some of our customers experienced a disruption in wireless service this morning. We are actively working to restore service,” said AT&T in a statement. “We encourage the use of Wi-Fi calling until service is restored.”
The company is responding to customer complaints online and urging them to direct message for direct customer service.
AT&T has been dealing with intermittent outages in the past few days, including temporary 911 service interruptions in some parts of the southeastern United States. While these outages can be sporadic, nationwide, prolonged disruptions are exceptionally rare.
Several local governments have stated that the closure of AT&T is affecting its services.
The Emergency Management Department in San Francisco issued a statement on Thursday morning, mentioning that while its 911 center was operational, many AT&T customers were unable to reach emergency lines due to the AT&T outage. They suggested people use landlines to make 911 calls or find someone with service from a different provider.
In their post, the department said, “We are aware of the issues affecting AT&T wireless customers making and receiving any phone call, including 911. We are actively engaged and monitoring the situation.”
In Arlington, Ohio, the Fire Department reported that the AT&T outage is impacting its fire alarm system. St. Joseph County, Michigan advised residents to use Wi-Fi for making 911 calls if they couldn’t reach 911 through AT&T’s network. Cobb County, Georgia stated that their 911 operations were unaffected, but customers might explore alternative ways to reach emergency services. In Cable County, West Virginia, customers unable to reach 911 via AT&T can resort to sending a message as a last resort.
The DownDetector website indicates that on Thursday morning, approximately 1,000 outages were reported by customers of both Verizon and T-Mobile.
T-Mobile stated in a statement, “We haven’t experienced any outages. Our network is operating normally.”
Verizon also made a similar comment, stating that they were unaffected by the AT&T outage.
In a statement to CNN, Verizon mentioned, “Verizon’s network is operating normally.” “Some customers experienced issues this morning when trying to call or text with customers serviced by another carrier. We are actively monitoring the situation.”
The company mentioned that DownDetector reports about T-Mobile outages are likely reflecting challenges faced by our customers attempting to connect with users on other networks.
According to the website, DownDetector provides real-time status information for more than 12,000 services across 47 websites representing 47 countries. They are continuously keeping an eye on the situation.
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