AT&T apologized Thursday after a massive service outage left customers across the United States without phone service to make calls from their phones, not even to 911.
The outage began affecting customers early on Thursday and AT&T acknowledged the issue, explaining in a statement that it was working to restore cellular service. However, the telecommunications giant did not say what caused the persistent outages or when the company would fully resolve the problem. The company later confirmed it had restored service to its entire network around 3 pm ET.
The interruption in service reportedly affected 60,000 customers across the network, with outages mainly in Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Louisville, and Indianapolis, according to data from website DownDetector.
Breaking …
An unprecedented solar flare unseen in 43 years happened today and caused a massive AT&T shutdown.
Verizon, however, had previously installed anti-solar flare devices and they were not affected.
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) February 23, 2024
“We are aware of an issue impacting AT&T wireless customers from making and receiving any phone calls (including to 911),” the San Francisco Fire Department said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “We are actively engaged and monitoring this. The San Francisco 911 center is still operational.”
We are aware of an issue impacting AT&T wireless customers from making and receiving any phone calls (including to 911).
We are actively engaged and monitoring this.
The San Francisco 911 center is still operational.
If you are an AT&T customer and cannot get through to 911,… pic.twitter.com/TUIEBkqmkI
— SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) February 22, 2024
Other X users were shocked by the outage, questioning whether there had been a cyber attack or any other malicious targeting of the system.
I don’t know the cause of the AT&T outage
But I do know it will be 100 times worse when #China launches a cyber attack on America on the eve of a #Taiwan invasion
And it won’t be just cell service they hit, it will be your power, your water and your bank
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 22, 2024
Some wondered if it was a solar flare that caused the service outage.
“Yes, there was a strong solar flare reported around midnight. But, is it connected to the cell phone outage? Not impossible and the timing is interesting, but not sure we can say that just yet,” Justin Horne with KSAT 12 out of Texas posted on X.
Yes, there was a strong solar flare reported around midnight. But, is it connected to the cell phone outage? Not impossible and the timing is interesting, but not sure we can say that just yet. We'll keep investigating! pic.twitter.com/Q2v0iOwmu6
— Justin Horne (@Justin_Horne) February 22, 2024
AT&T told ABC News in a statement, “We are continuing our assessment of today’s outage to ensure we keep delivering the service that our customers deserve.” The statement said the cause was not a solar flare or cyber attack, but “the application and execution of an incorrect process used as we were expanding our network.”
