A major service outage has impacted cell phone users across the country, with AT&T experiencing widespread disruptions. While service is beginning to be restored, tens of thousands of customers are still reporting no service on their devices. The outage, which started around 4 a.m. on the East Coast, has left many users unable to make calls or send text messages.
Industry officials have indicated that the outage is not the result of a cyber attack or malicious activity but appears to be related to technical issues with peering, the process by which cell phone calls are handed off between networks. Verizon and T-Mobile have reported that their networks are unaffected, attributing the issues to AT&T's service disruptions.
For affected AT&T customers, utilizing Wi-Fi connectivity can still allow for making calls in many cases. However, reports have emerged that 911 services were impacted by the outage, prompting emergency services to advise users to seek alternative methods of communication in case of emergencies, such as using landlines or phones on other networks.
Emergency responders have cautioned against making unnecessary test calls to 911, as these can overload call centers and hinder responses to real emergencies. Instead, individuals are advised to test their phone connections by calling a known contact before relying on 911 services.
The outage has raised concerns about public safety and the reliability of emergency services, as AT&T manages the network infrastructure for many of these critical services. As the situation unfolds, questions remain about the cause of the outage and the accountability of AT&T in addressing the disruptions.
