There was a major AT&T network outage on Thursday morning that left thousands of customers nationwide without internet or cell service, causing severe inconvenience. Around 8:00 a.m. ET was when the outage peaked, with over 71,000 outage complaints being recorded by Downdetector. The disruption started at around 4:00 a.m. Major cities including Houston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Atlanta were severely affected by this disaster, which also interfered with regular communications and the availability of emergency services.
Apart from the significant outage experienced by AT&T customers, Verizon and T-Mobile customers also encountered lower levels of network disruptions. “Some of our customers are experiencing wireless service interruptions this morning,” AT&T said in response to the outage. We are working quickly to get them back online. Wi-Fi calling is recommended while service is restored.”
Public safety was particularly at danger during the service interruption since some AT&T customers were momentarily unable to contact 911 emergency services. Due of this, a number of police departments—including those in Chicago, Virginia, and North Carolina—advised AT&T customers to utilize landlines or, in the event of an emergency, seek assistance from people using other carriers. In addition, the San Francisco Fire Department sent a public alert recommending anyone who is unable to call 911 to think about using another way to get emergency assistance.
In response to the emergency, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens informed the public that the e-911 system in the city was active and able to take in and make calls. He reported that AT&T users had reported their phones being in SOS mode as a result of the outage to the city.
While AT&T and its staff worked aggressively to repair the issue and restore full service to affected areas, the origin of the company’s technical troubles remained unclear. The number of reported outages had dropped to less than 15,000 by 10:00 a.m. ET, indicating a gradual restoration of services. The event serves as a reminder of how crucial network dependability is as well as the possible effects of widespread service outages on connectivity and public safety.