Verizon's wireless service experienced a nationwide outage on Wednesday, impacting cellular data and voice services for a portion of its customer base. The interruption began around noon Eastern Time and was resolved late Wednesday night. The outage also affected some emergency 911 calls and prompted advisories from public safety agencies.
Outage Timeline and Scope
Verizon confirmed that service interruptions began around 12:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, affecting cellular data and voice services. Reports from social media users indicated mobile devices were displaying "no service bars" or an "SOS" notification, indicating a loss of network connection. Downdetector, a service that tracks outages, reported that at its peak, at least 178,284 Verizon customers were affected. While the outage was reported nationwide, the highest concentration of reported problems occurred in New York City, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Houston. By 3:30 p.m. ET, the number of affected customers had decreased to below 60,000.
Company Response and Resolution
Upon confirmation of the outage, Verizon stated that its engineers were actively working to identify and resolve the issue. At 2:14 p.m. ET, the company posted an update acknowledging the ongoing service interruptions. Verizon announced late Wednesday night that the major service outage had been resolved. Following the resolution, a company spokesperson advised customers who might still be experiencing issues to restart their devices to reconnect to the network. Verizon also indicated plans to offer "account credits" to affected customers. The company did not disclose a specific reason for the outage.
Impact on Emergency Services
The service interruption impacted some local 911 calls, prompting emergency notification systems to issue public advisories.
- In Washington, D.C., the AlertDC system confirmed a "nationwide" Verizon outage. It advised individuals needing emergency services who were unable to connect via a Verizon Wireless device to use an alternate carrier's device, a landline, or to proceed to a police district or fire station.
- New York City's Office of Emergency Management (NYCEM) confirmed awareness of the outage and stated it was collaborating with partners to assess potential effects on city agencies and essential services. NYCEM officials also confirmed the impact on some users attempting to call 911 and provided similar advice regarding alternative communication methods for emergencies.
Investigation into Cause
Multiple law enforcement agencies initiated an investigation into the possibility of a cyberattack as the cause of the outage. However, law enforcement sources later indicated that the outage was believed to be a technical issue rather than the result of a cyberattack or other malicious act. The federal government’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) referred inquiries regarding the cause to Verizon.
Status of Other Carriers
Other major wireless carriers reported normal operations during the Verizon outage:
- T-Mobile stated its network was functioning as expected but acknowledged that its customers might encounter difficulty reaching individuals with Verizon service.
- AT&T confirmed that its network was operating normally and was not experiencing any technical issues.