AT&T Restores Cellphone Service After Nationwide Outage
A recent outage affected tens of thousands of AT&T customers across the country, leading to concerns about disruptions to emergency services. The FBI and DHS are investigating the incident, with the FCC also involved in the response.
Service Restoration and Apologies
AT&T managed to fully restore wireless service to all affected customers by late afternoon, following a spike in reported outages. The company issued a sincere apology and reassured customers of their commitment to preventing future disruptions.
Regional Impact and Response
Various cities, including Houston, Dallas, and New York, reported the highest number of outages. The San Francisco Fire Department advised AT&T customers to use alternative means of communication if unable to reach 911 during the outage.
Emergency Call Accessibility
Despite service disruptions, individuals with cellphones can still make emergency calls or texts. However, calls from phones without active service may not provide location information to 911 call centers, emphasizing the importance of alternative communication methods during such incidents.
Impact on Emergency Services
911 services in some areas experienced disruptions in location information and caller ID from AT&T phones. While service providers like Verizon and T-Mobile reported normal operations, the outage did not significantly affect their networks.
Solar Flare Connection
The outage coincided with a solar flare, according to NOAA, which can impact high-frequency radio signals. While the flare reached Earth around the time of the outage, its effects were limited to the sunlit side of the planet.