CNN
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AT&T's network was down for many customers across the U.S. Thursday morning, leaving customers unable to make calls, send text messages or access the Internet.
Verizon and T-Mobile customers also reported some network outages, but they didn't appear to be as widespread. T-Mobile and Verizon said their networks were not affected by AT&T's outage, and that customers who reported the outage may not have been able to contact AT&T customers.
What if there is no service?
If you're an AT&T customer who doesn't have access to calls, texts, or the internet, you can turn on Wi-Fi calling. If you have access to Wi-Fi, you should be able to make calls and send text messages.
More than 74,000 AT&T customers reported outages on the digital service tracking site DownDetector. This is not a comprehensive number. We only track self-reported outages. Reports increased steadily throughout the morning, but leveled out at 9 a.m. ET.
AT&T acknowledged widespread outages, but did not say why the system was failing.
“Some customers are experiencing wireless service interruptions this morning. We are working urgently to restore service,” AT&T said in a statement. “We recommend using Wi-Fi calling until service is restored.”
The company said parts of its network have begun to be restored, but it has not yet determined when the system will be fully restored. AT&T is responding to customer complaints online and asking customers to message customer service directly.
Why did AT&T go bankrupt?
AT&T has experienced sporadic outages in recent days, including a temporary suspension of 911 calls in parts of the southeastern United States. Power outages do occur from time to time, but nationwide, long-term power outages are extremely rare.
AT&T did not provide an official reason for the outage, but industry officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said the problem lies in the way the cell phone service passes calls from one network to the next, a process known as peering. It seems to be related to.
Industry officials said there is no indication that Thursday's outage was the result of a cyberattack or other malicious activity.
Verizon believes the nationwide outage involving AT&T customers is “nearing resolution,” according to Verizon spokesman Richard Young.
Telecommunications carriers are notoriously silent about why their networks went down. In the past, there have been construction accidents and sabotage where fiber optic cables were cut, or buggy network updates that made rollbacks difficult.
Several local governments said AT&T's outage has disrupted service.
This was announced by the San Francisco Office of Emergency Management. Statement regarding X The company's 911 center remained operational Thursday morning, but many AT&T customers were unable to connect to emergency lines due to power outages. He suggested calling from a landline or finding someone using a competitor's service and dialing 911.
“We are aware of an issue impacting AT&T Wireless customers' ability to make and receive calls (including 911),” the agency said in a post. “We are actively involved and monitoring this.”
The Upper Arlington, Ohio, fire department said the AT&T outage affected fire alarms. St. Joseph County, Michigan, advised residents to call 911 using Wi-Fi if they cannot reach 911 on AT&T's network. Cobb County, Georgia, said 911 operations remain unaffected by the outage, but customers may be looking for other ways to contact emergency services. Cabell County, West Virginia, said customers who are unable to contact 911 can text 911 as a last resort.
New York City police officials told CNN Thursday morning that AT&T cellphones had to be connected to Wi-Fi to make calls or use email.
An AT&T spokesperson said the company's FirstNet network remains operational. FirstNet provides coverage for first responders and is touted as a more robust network than the AT&T commercial network. It uses a combination of its own infrastructure and AT&T's extensive network. Customers include police and fire departments as well as first responders during natural disasters.
Verizon and T-Mobile say they are not affected
According to the DownDetector website, about 1,000 outages were reported by both Verizon and T-Mobile customers Thursday morning.
T-Mobile said in a statement that “no outages occurred.” “Our network is operating normally.”
Verizon issued a similar comment, saying it was not affected by AT&T's outage.
“Verizon's network is operating normally,” Verizon told CNN in a statement. “This morning, some customers experienced issues calling or texting customers served by another carrier. We continue to monitor the situation. ”
User reports on Downdetector of T-Mobile's outages “likely reflect challenges our customers have had trying to connect to users on other networks,” the company added.
DownDetector provides “real-time status information for more than 12,000 services across 47 websites representing 47 countries,” the website states.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN's Carol Alvarado and John Miller contributed to this report.
