The issue
Reports of disruptions to mobile services in the United States surfaced Thursday morning across the nation. According to Downdetector.com, which monitors service outages, thousands of complaints were registered by users of various networks after 04:00 EST (09:00 GMT). A significant portion of these reports, numbering tens of thousands, specifically pertained to AT&T, with notable concentrations in the southern and eastern regions, as highlighted by Downdetector. Users have indicated that their phones are showing the SOS message, rendering them incapable of placing calls or accessing services. The exact cause of the issue remains unclear. The BBC has reached out to several operators for comments regarding the situation.
AT&T is addressing complaints from customers online, but hasn't widely acknowledged network problems yet. Verizon, another network with reports on Downdetector, told the BBC its network is working fine. They suggested that customers might be reporting issues after trying unsuccessfully to contact users on a different provider. T-Mobile also said its network is normal, and customers having issues might struggle to make outgoing calls to another network. Some thousand Cricket Wireless, UScellular, and Consumer Cellular customers are also reporting problems.
Users are facing difficulties with calls, texts, and internet access, with many reporting no service or signal. Downdetector's heatmap shows major cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Atlanta experiencing the most outages. In some areas, the 911 emergency service is also down, with officials recommending the use of a landline, social media, or a cell phone with a different carrier during emergencies.
