This week I travelled between two large cities that are about 4 hours apart. I’ve probably made this drive 1000 times but it’s been awhile since I’ve driven it. This route used to have blanket coverage except for one spot that was a couple of miles. I experienced new service issues when I travelled which consisted of dropping to LTE which was virtually useless, dropping the audiobook I was listening to and phone calls. At a couple of points, my phone went into SOS and was bricked. I returned today and before I left I made sure to close all apps and power cycle my phone. Same issue on my return trip.
– neverenou, Reddit, August 2025
Yeah as a former employee I can tell you I’ve seen this more and more since like april-ish time so no idea what had happened but I’ve noticed it even in big cities like Phoenix Arizona and Chicago.
– Organic-Affect4469, Reddit, August 2025
I’ve been having no service at all inside my house since July this year. Was all good until July hit then I stopped getting service all of a sudden. Now in the morning I get somewhat ok connection. But in the afternoon, no service whatsoever. They definitely shutdown one of the long range bands in my area.
– IndividualStatus1924, Reddit, August 2025
I don’t get texts from my boyfriend on the 30 minute drive to his house. I get them as I’m parking at his place. It’s horrible.
– Ok-Moose8271, Reddit, August 2025
Now here’s the kicker: even if you do get solid 5G, your phone still might lean on LTE for uploads. So if LTE coverage is weakening, your experience tanks, no matter how shiny the 5G label looks. And this isn’t just happening in the countryside – big cities are feeling it, too.
Same issues here in Michigan. Walked out of Walmart the other day and my phone went into SOS mode in the MIDDLE of a major city! My husband and my parents are all on the same plan…. Same issues no matter where we are (parents live an hour north, husband if in a different major city for work that’s 2.5 hours away. SOS mode , “call failed,” not getting calls/texts , not being able to call out , dropped calls consistently. And it’s not even just on our network/state – this happens when I call my sister in a different state to a different carrier (she has AT&T) …. When we pay off our devices we’re moving to Mint.
– LazyLasagna3, Reddit, August 2025
I’m in Houston and I’ve noticed it a lot more now my phone has never gone in SOS at my home until now even at family gatherings it barely has any service.
– Phoenix_S0ul89, Reddit, August 2025
Terrain and buildings can make things worse, too. Hills, dense trees, and even modern energy-efficient walls can choke your signal. Normally, every carrier deals with these challenges – but if a network’s overall health is slipping, those weak spots become way more noticeable.
When you zoom out, though, the most likely culprits seem clear: heavy network congestion from rising data use, a bumpy 5G rollout, and the complete removal of the 3G safety net. Put all that together, and it’s easy to see why users are feeling the pain.
We’ve reached out to Verizon for a comment and will update the story when we have a response.
“Iconic Phones” is coming this Fall!
Good news everyone! Over the past year we’ve been working on an exciting passion project of ours and we’re thrilled to announce it will be ready to release in just a few short months.
