A widespread cellular outage struck telephone users across the United States, causing disruptions in calls, text messages, and access to emergency services, particularly in major cities like San Francisco.
The outage, which occurred around 7:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, led to over 50,000 reported incidents according to Downdetector.
Affected users of Verizon, T-Mobile, and UScellular also reported disruptions, although T-Mobile insisted that its network was operating normally despite customer complaints.
American Telephone and Telegraph Company, however, did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the outage.
The impact of the outage was felt keenly in communities as it hindered people’s ability to reach emergency services, including 911.
The San Francisco Fire Department highlighted this concern on social media platform X, urging residents to be patient and explore alternative means of seeking help during the disruption.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the outage as affected users continue to experience service interruptions, emphasizing the critical need for reliable communication infrastructure, especially during emergencies.
