Verizon Restores Network After Major Outage Disrupts Thousands

Verizon has fully restored its network after a major disruption impacted thousands of users across the U.S. The outage, which started around 9:30 a.m. ET, left many customers without service in cities like Chicago, Seattle, and Phoenix. Some iPhone users were stuck in “SOS” mode, unable to connect to a cellular network.

At the peak of the disruption, there were over 105,000 reports of outages. The outage tracking service showed widespread issues in areas including Minneapolis, Omaha, and Denver. Verizon engineers quickly began resolving the issue, and by later in the day, services were returning to normal levels.

Verizon issued an apology for the disruption, acknowledging the inconvenience faced by many customers. However, the company did not provide specific details regarding the cause of the outage.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is currently investigating the matter. They aim to determine both the cause and extent of the service disruption. Some users took to social media to share that their devices were showing “SOS” mode, meaning they could still make emergency calls through other carriers but could not access the network.

During the outage, there were also reports from AT&T users, though the company stated they were not experiencing a nationwide issue. AT&T mentioned that the challenges reported were likely related to customers trying to connect with users on other networks.

The Verizon outage occurred on the same day the company announced a significant infrastructure deal. Verizon agreed to allow Vertical Bridge to lease and operate more than 6,000 mobile towers across the U.S. for $3.3 billion.

This network issue comes months after AT&T experienced a similar outage in February, affecting over 70,000 users. Both events have sparked investigations by the FCC, which is keen on preventing future large-scale disruptions. Verizon’s quick response in restoring its network minimized the potential long-term effects.

While the service has returned, the focus is now on ensuring future network reliability across the country.