AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon service outage: affected areas, causes, and alternatives
Cellphone outages in the US: Latest Updates
- AT&T and all other major cellphone carriers are reporting outages across the country
- What to do if youriPhone says "SOS Only"...
- Some cities are seeing disruptions to their 911 operating systems
Follow along for more:
People across the United States are waking up this morning with cell phones that serve as little more than a glorified alarm clock, with all major telecommunications companies reporting massive outages. It has been hours since the outages were initially reported, and very little information has still been released on what has caused the cellular networks to fail.
Fairfax tells residents to use landlines to call 911
Like many other emergency dispatch systems, out in Fairfax, Virginia, AT&T customers are encountering issues when calling 911. While the systems are not effected by the outages, residents are encouraged to use a landline or have a friend or family call on one's behalf if they are disconnected or unable to get through.
Police in Arlington, Texas say 911 dispatch centers are not being impacted
Another law enforcement agency, this time in Arlington, Texas, has said that the widespread cellular outages do not impact their 911 dispatch offices. However, some residents have not been able to call 911 from their cell phones, and the police are recommending that a landline be used to avoid issues.
Additionally, in a follow-up post, the account said that 911 operators can still see the calls come through and that those seeking assistance should "stay on the line." For those with Wi-Fi, texting 911 is another option to alert emergency personnel that you need help.
AT&T outage reports begin to dip this morning
Down Detector data is showing a slight decrease in the number of outage reports from customers as reports of widespread network outage for AT&T customers. Those who have a contract with Verizon, T-Mobile or another network are also encourtering issues but so far, those seem to be on a much lower scale.
Emergency services in Washington DC are safe from outages
While other cities have reported residents having issues calling 911 because of the cellular outages across the country, in DC, all systems are intact.
"At this time, there is no indication that DC is affected," reported the Office of Unified Communications. The office is monitoring the situation and will be providing updates in case of any changes in the status of the ability of residents to call 911 from their cellphones. Make sure to throw the agency a follow if you are a DC resident, particularly if you are experiencing problems with your phone.
Which cities are seeing the largest interruptions in cellular service?
According to Down Detector, the site that uses crowdsourcing to have users report outages on applications, cellular networks, and other platforms.
The site has received the most reports from:
1. Houston
2. Chicago
3. Dallas
4. Atlanta
5. San Antonio
6. Indianapolis
7. Miami
8. Charlotte
9. Louisville
Since 3:30 AM ET, a surge in AT&T outage reports has been published on the website Down Detector.
The site is a helpful hub when massive service interruptions occur for cellular networks, internet providers, or applications. The site uses a crowd-sourcing feature where users report the outages they are experiencing, and the data is then collated, providing a broader perspective on the impact the interruptions are having and where.
AT&T has yet to make any public statements regarding the outage and what may be causing their network to fail.
Read more in our full coverage.
SF Fire Department warns that outages are impacting calls to 911
The SF Fire Department has confirmed that some AT&T customers have encountered trouble calling 911 because of outages expereicened by the cellular carrier. SFFD has assured residents that the "911 center is still operational" but that if they are having trouble getting through on their cellphone that they should dial 911 on a landline. This issue highlights the dangers of cellphone outages in the era where so many households no longer have a landline.
Across the United States, cellphone carriers are expreicing outages this morning. Little is known on what is causing the interruptions to mobile and cellular service. Follow along for the latest on the affected areas and the causes.