Updated on Jan. 14 at 4:13 p.m. ET:
In an emailed statement to Mashable, an AT&T spokesperson said the company’s network is “operating normally at this time.” As of this writing, only Verizon is experiencing a confirmed mobile outage.
Like T-Mobile, it seems that the spike in Downdetector reports for AT&T likely stems from customers attempting to reach people affected by Verizon’s outage, rather than a problem with AT&T’s own service. AT&T’s X account also posted saying that its coverage was fine and that the problem was with “the other guys.”
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Updated on Jan. 14 at 3:55 p.m. ET: T-Mobile issued a statement on X confirming that its cellular network was operating normally — and taking a subtle jab at Verizon.
“T-Mobile’s network is keeping our customers connected, and we’ve confirmed that our network is operating normally and as expected. However due to Verizon’s reported outage, our customers may not be able to reach someone with Verizon service at this time.”
This update could explain why some T-Mobile customers reported problems even as the company’s network was fully operational. Users may have tried calling Verizon customers and been unable to complete the call, which they incorrectly interpreted as a problem with their own service.
Updated on Jan. 14 at 2:59 p.m. ET: The Verizon outage appears to be widespread, severe, and ongoing, with some mobile users’ phones stuck in SOS mode.
According to Downdetector, the carrier is experiencing “a catastrophic break in standard cellular connectivity,” with more than 1 million reports (1,053,104) logged in the past 24 hours. The situation peaked at 5:45 p.m. UTC, when Downdetector recorded 178,284 reports within a 15-minute window. (Disclosure: Downdetector and Mashable are both owned by Ziff Davis.)
Per Downdetector, the highest concentration of Verizon user error reports is coming from New York City and Atlanta. Significant outage volumes have also been recorded in Charlotte, Houston, and Dallas, indicating a national event rather than a localized issue. Verizon also added a new statement on social media, although it’s phrased similarly to the previous update:
Mashable Light Speed
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
T-Mobile, meanwhile, said its own network is functioning normally. In a statement to Mashable over email, the carrier said:
“T-Mobile’s network is keeping our customers connected, and we’ve confirmed that our network is operating normally and as expected. However, due to Verizon’s reported outage, our customers may not be able to reach someone with Verizon service at this time.”
There’s been no official comment yet from AT&T.
A major telecommunications outage is unfolding, with a surge of error reports pointing to widespread service disruptions across Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. In particular, many Verizon customers are reporting that their phones have gone into SOS mode, though they should still be able to make 911 calls via satellite.
According to Downdetector, user error reports started to spike around 11:55 a.m. ET on Wednesday. (Disclosure: Downdetector and Mashable are both owned by Ziff Davis.) While some users on AT&T and T-Mobile networks have also reported issues, Verizon customers appear to be bearing the brunt of the disruption. On X, “Verizon” quickly began trending as users attempted to figure out what was happening.
With the outage still developing, details remain limited. So far, Verizon is the only carrier to publicly acknowledge the issue.
In a post on X, the company said: “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. We understand how important reliable connectivity is and apologize for the inconvenience.”
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
That same message has been repeated in replies to multiple users who tagged Verizon Support seeking help. Mashable reached out to Verizon for comment, and we received the same message that was previously posted on social media.
Downdetector categorized the Verizon outage as “Very High,” and the service received a peak of 178,284 error reports within a 15-minute window on Wednesday afternoon. In total, Downdetector says it’s received more than 1 million Verizon user error reports. Among those users, 59 percent reported “mobile phone failure,” while 34 percent reported “total loss of signal.”
Downdetector also reports that Verizon user error reports have spiked in New York City, Houston, Atlanta, and Charlotte in particular.
In a response to users on X, T-Mobile stated that it was not currently experiencing any widespread coverage issues on its network.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This story is developing and will be updated as necessary…
