AT&T wants the seven biggest and most profitable tech companies, namely Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla, to help subsidize Internet and telephone access in the U.S.
AT&T CEO John Stankey said on Monday at a telecoms forum that big tech companies should be required to contribute to the Universal Service Fund (USF), a federal program that spends $8 billion a year on phone, Internet, and other telecommunications services.
The fund supports lower-income customers, customers who live in rural areas, or those who reside in high-cost areas. It also brings internet and phone service to eligible schools and libraries.
“The seven largest and most profitable companies in the world built their franchises on the internet and the infrastructure we provide,” Stankey said, per a Reuters report.
“Why shouldn’t they participate in ensuring affordable and equitable access to the services of today that are just as indispensable as the phone lines of yesteryear?” he added.
John Stankey, AT&T CEO. Credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
As a telecommunications company operating in the U.S., AT&T is required to contribute to the USF.
The fund takes a percentage of AT&T’s revenues, starting at 15.5%.
AT&T charges its customers a Universal Connectivity Charge based on the USF percentage — so at the end of the day, AT&T’s customers pay an additional cost that goes towards the fund.
“In the competitive industry we are in, we cannot afford to absorb the costs associated with the USF that have been imposed on AT&T,” a company webpage reads.
Stankey isn’t the only AT&T executive to recently call attention to the USF fee. Earlier this month, AT&T executive vice president of federal regulatory relations Rhonda Johnson wrote that the company’s USF contribution percentage was now 34.4% — and had remained at above 30% for the past four quarters.
Johnson wrote that Congress should expand the USF’s sources of funding to “tech companies – like Meta and Google – that utilize consumer broadband connections.”
These big tech companies have profited from having Americans online and should also contribute to a reformed fund, according to Johnson.
AT&T and Verizon customers found themselves unable to call contacts on other carriers for several hours on June 4. Based on people’s reports on Downdetector, the issue started at around 11AM ET for both carriers and peaked at approximately 5PM ET. Thousands of subscribers were affected. Most of the reports came from New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and Cleveland, among other locations. A much smaller number of T-Mobile and Cricket Wireless users also reported problems with their connection.
The Federal Communications Commission tried to assuage people’s worries and announced that it was aware that subscribers from multiple states were “unable to make wireless calls.” It also said that it was “currently investigating” the problem. After 7PM ET, both Verizon and AT&T issued statements denying that they were experiencing nationwide outage. They both admitted that their customers were having difficulties calling or texting people on other carriers — Verizon reportedly told Gizmodo that outage reports for its network came from people trying to call AT&T subscribers — but neither one took responsibility. The root cause of the issue remains unknown at this time. AT&T told CNN, though, that 911 calls went through despite the outage.
We want to assure you there’s no widespread Verizon outage.
Some customers experienced issues when calling or texting customers on other carriers who are having issues, and we’re monitoring the situation in real time.
The issue disrupting calls between carriers has been resolved. We collaborated with the other carrier to find a solution and appreciate our customers patience during this period.
An hour later, AT&T announced that the problem had been resolved. The company said it collaborated “with the other carrier” to find a solution. It didn’t name the other carrier, but it was most likely Verizon, seeing as most of the customers who were affected were subscribers of the two companies. Back in February, AT&T experienced a massive outage that affected over 70,000 subscribers’ cellular services and data connections, with customers noting that they couldn’t even contact 911. Verizon and T-Mobile said at the time that their subscribers couldn’t contact friends with AT&T numbers.
TO EXPLAIN TED JESSICA A LOT OF AT&T CUSTOMERS HERE IN BOSTON AND AROUND THE COUNTRY WOKE UP WITH SOMETHING ON THEIR PHONE THEY MAY HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK. YOU MAY HAVE WOKEN UP WITH YOUR S.O.S. MODE ON YOUR PHONE, WHICH IS SIMPLY A WAY FOR YOUR CELL PHONE TELLING YOU YOU DON’T HAVE CELL CONNECTION, MEANING YOU’RE ONLY ABLE TO CALL OR TEXT EMERGENCY SERVICES THROUGH THE CELLULAR NETWORK. NOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE USE AT&T AS THEIR CELL NETWORK AND DIALED 911 TO SEE IF THEY COULD CONNECT TO FIRST RESPONDERS AND MATT STATE POLICE GOT FLOODED WITH CALLS SO MUCH SO THEY HAD TO PUT OUT ON TWITTER SAYING, IF YOU NEED TO CALL 911 AND CANNOT DO SO, USE A LANDLINE IF POSSIBLE UNTIL THE SITUATION IS RESOLVED. NOW NEWTON POLICE DISPATCH ALSO TOOK CALLS WHEN AT&T SERVICE WENT DOWN. WE’RE ASKING THAT PEOPLE NOT CALL 911 JUST TO TEST THEIR SERVICE. IF YOUR PHONE SERVICE IS UP AND WORKING, YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY ISSUES CALLING IN TO 911. NOW
AT&T resolves outage that left some customers without service across the US
AT&T says it has resolved an outage that left some customers in the dark on Tuesday.Video above: AT&T restores cellular service after widespread outage in FebruaryEarlier, the company said a problem prevented many AT&T customers from completing calls between carriers.“The interoperability issue between carriers has been resolved,” an AT&T spokesperson said. “We collaborated with the other carrier to find a solution and appreciate our customers patience during this period.”In a previous statement sent to CNN, the company said a problem prevented many AT&T customers from completing calls between carriers. That also means customers from a rival service could not place calls to an AT&T customer.Although AT&T did not share the number of impacted customers, website Down Detector shows a spike in reports of issues using the service starting around 1 p.m. ET. Those numbers climbed in the hours that followed. By 6 p.m. ET, however, the number of reported incidents started to decline, according to Down Detector.The site listed New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis as among the cities with the most reports of issues.Because of the interoperability problem, thousands of Verizon customers also reported a service outage on Down Detector Tuesday.AT&T told CNN that 911 calls went through, despite a few locations, including Camden County, Georgia, and Scranton, Pennsylvania, issuing alerts on social media that the outage was disrupting calls to 911. AT&T told CNN the alerts were received accidentally after a template for such a notification was triggered and sent. AT&T said it is investigating why that happened.The outage comes less than four months after a massive disruption that knocked out service for AT&T’s network for nearly 12 hours. In February, tens of thousands of AT&T customers in America were unable to make phone calls, send texts, reach emergency services or access the internet because of an AT&T network outage.In March, the telecommunications company said it had been hacked in a separate incident, and the stolen data contained information such as account holders’ Social Security numbers.
AT&T says it has resolved an outage that left some customers in the dark on Tuesday.
Video above: AT&T restores cellular service after widespread outage in February
Earlier, the company said a problem prevented many AT&T customers from completing calls between carriers.
“The interoperability issue between carriers has been resolved,” an AT&T spokesperson said. “We collaborated with the other carrier to find a solution and appreciate our customers patience during this period.”
In a previous statement sent to CNN, the company said a problem prevented many AT&T customers from completing calls between carriers. That also means customers from a rival service could not place calls to an AT&T customer.
Although AT&T did not share the number of impacted customers, website Down Detector shows a spike in reports of issues using the service starting around 1 p.m. ET. Those numbers climbed in the hours that followed. By 6 p.m. ET, however, the number of reported incidents started to decline, according to Down Detector.
The site listed New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis as among the cities with the most reports of issues.
Because of the interoperability problem, thousands of Verizon customers also reported a service outage on Down Detector Tuesday.
AT&T told CNN that 911 calls went through, despite a few locations, including Camden County, Georgia, and Scranton, Pennsylvania, issuing alerts on social media that the outage was disrupting calls to 911. AT&T told CNN the alerts were received accidentally after a template for such a notification was triggered and sent. AT&T said it is investigating why that happened.
The outage comes less than four months after a massive disruption that knocked out service for AT&T’s network for nearly 12 hours. In February, tens of thousands of AT&T customers in America were unable to make phone calls, send texts, reach emergency services or access the internet because of an AT&T network outage.
In March, the telecommunications company said it had been hacked in a separate incident, and the stolen data contained information such as account holders’ Social Security numbers.
Update, 7:50 p.m. ET: AT&T says the issue has now been fixed, telling Gizmodo over email, “We collaborated with the other carrier to find a solution and appreciate our customers patience during this period.” The original article remains below.
Google’s Antitrust Case Is the Best Thing That Ever Happened to AI
AT&T customers across the U.S. are reporting major network issues on Tuesday that’s stopping them from making calls to people with other network carriers. DownDetector appears to show reports from customers at T-Mobile and Verizon as well, though both carriers tell Gizmodo they’re not experiencing outages and those reports are from people simply trying to reach AT&T users.
“There is a nationwide issue that is affecting the ability of customers to complete calls between carriers,” an AT&T spokesperson told Gizmodo. “The carriers are working as quickly as possible to diagnose and resolve the issue.”
The company told ABC News that calls to 911 are not impacted and should be working normally.
AT&T suffered a widespread outage across the country back in February that hampered not only voice calls but any connectivity on the network nationwide. Initial suspicions online saw users speculate it may have been the result of a cyberattack, a rumor that AT&T denied.
AT&T eventually apologized for the outage and offered customers a $5 credit. Some customers complained, but AT&T defended the rebate by saying it was roughly the “average cost of a full day of service.”
Other tech companies have experienced major outages recently, with ChatGPT down for thousands of users Tuesday morning. The first ChatGPT outage appears to have started around 3:00 a.m. ET and a second outage hitting around 10:30 am ET. Things appear to be back up and normal with the AI chatbot service as of Tuesday evening.
Hundreds of thousands of Facebook and Instagram users experienced a serious outage earlier this year and LinkedIn saw the same thing back in March. It seems a number of companies are just struggling to keep their sites up for a host of different reasons.
Update 3/5/24: Deal is back through 4/30/24 (ht joremero)
The Offer
Check your Citi Offers for the following deal:
Get $40 back on a qualifying AT&T wireless plan purchase of $65 or more, by using your enrolled, eligible card.
Make the one time wireless plan purchase of $65 or more by 09/30/2023. Visit att.com/MobilityMC for more information. May be redeemed 1 time(s) by the offer end date.
The Fine Print
Offer valid one time only for new AT&T Wireless customers who purchase an eligible wireless plan (min. $65/mo. after discounts).
Payment must be made directly with the merchant.
Offer not valid on any smartphone, accessories purchases, AT&T Prepaid, or Cricket Wireless products or services.
Credit card may be required (except MA, PA, ND). Additional charges, usage, speed, taxes, fees & other restrictions apply.
Excludes any transactions bundled with other AT&T services.
Excludes in-store purchases, including orders placed for in-store pick-up.
Offer is nontransferable and the enrolled card must be active and in good-standing in order to be eligible for an award. Offers cannot be combined or stacked with other offers. If a merchant processes your online order in separate transactions, you may only earn an award on the first processed transaction if it meets all other offer criteria. Other exclusions and restrictions may apply. We may determine that certain offers are ineligible for an award. We may, in our sole discretion, suspend or deny your eligibility for all or part of the merchant offers program at any time without advanced notice to you.
Our Verdict
Nice savings for AT&T users. This should work fine for existing AT&T customers. (In the past they stipulated this kind of offer is only for new customers, though in practice it worked for everyone.) Prepaid AT&T is excluded in the terms.
Deal History:
Update 1/8/24: Deal is back. Valid until 02/29/2024
Update 10/3/23: Deal is back, this time $50 off $65. Valid until 12/31/2023.
Check your American Express credit cards for a new offer that can save you $45 at AT&T. You can find this offer in your Amex consumer and business credit cards. Check out the full details of the offer below.
Offer Details
Get a one-time $45 statement credit by using your enrolled eligible Card to purchase a new qualifying AT&T wireless plan at att.com/MobilityAMEX and make a single payment of $65+ by 7/31/2024.
Important Terms
Offer valid for new qualifying AT&T Wireless plan online only at US website att.com/MobilityAMEX.
Valid one time only for new AT&T Wireless customers who purchase an elig. wireless plan (min. $65/mo. after discounts).
Payment must be made directly with the merchant.
Offer not valid on any smartphone, AT&T Prepaid, or Cricket Wireless products or services.
Add’l charges, usage, speed & other restr’s apply. Taxes, fees, other charges & restrictions may apply.
Not valid on purchases shipped outside of the US. See merchant website for shipping policy.
About Amex Offers
Amex Offers are an extra perk on all American Express credit cards, charge cards, and even prepaid cards. You can see these offers in your accounts either as a statement credit or extra Membership Rewards points for spending a certain amount at an eligible merchant. You will need to add the offer to a specific card, and then use that card to get the credit. Here are a few things you should know:
Guru’s Wrap-up
This is a good offer, but it is targeted. The terms state that the offer is for new AT&T wireless plans. You need to charge $65 or more on your card in order to get a $50 credit. Would be great if it works for existing users as well.
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Can’t get enough of the Samsung Galaxy S24? The company’s latest phone release may be its most diverse offering yet, with major differences between the regular S24, S24+, and Ultra variants thanks to the most expensive version’s titanium frame. There’s a lot of information to parse, so we’re here to help make your buying decision a little easier.
This is the Coolest Galaxy S24 AI Feature That Few Are Talking About
How to Order the Samsung Galaxy S24
The Galaxy S24 series should be on stores starting Wednesday. You can nab it from Samsung’s website, Best Buy, or anywhere else where phones are sold.
Pretty much all U.S.-based carriers are offering S24 deals, though, as usual, it’s best to read the fine print before jumping onto a new plan for the sake of a phone. Xfinity and Comcast are telling their customers they can get up to $800 off on any of the S24 variations with trade-in, though that will depend on the age and state of their current device.
T-Mobile is advertising you can get some money off your bill with trade-in for a Galaxy S24+ or Ultra, though only if they’re on the Go5G Plus or Next plans. These are applied as bill credits going on the next two years. They can also get up to $800 off a S24 through their bills when adding a line on those plans. Remember, studying any of these plans’ cost benefits is best before jumping in.
Verizon offers 0% APR monthly payments on all the new Galaxy variants. In addition, those on Verizon Unlimited plans are being offered a trade-in on any Samsung phone model in any condition for a new Galaxy S24 or S24+. You could get some money off your monthly payments over time.
Meanwhile, AT&T is advertising credits on your bill when you trade-in for the S24+ and Ultra variants, or up to $800 off the regular S24 so long as you have the telecom company’s unlimited plan.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Specs and Price
Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
Now for the important part, AKA what you should actually know about the latest Galaxy before slamming the buy button. The regular Galaxy S24 costs $800 for the 128 GB version and storage caps out at 256 GB. The S24+ is $1,000 with 256 GB and more storage up to 512 GB.
The regular S24 remains at the comfortable 6.2-inch screen size with its FHD+, 120 Hz display. The S24+ bumps up to 6.5 inches with a Quad HD+ display. It comes stocked with 8 GB of integrated memory and the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, Qualcomm’s latest flagship chip. You can expect the usual camera array from the Samsung lineup, including a 50-MP main sensor, a 10-MP telephoto, and a 12-MP ultrawide. Don’t forget the 12-MP selfie camera up front. Otherwise, its looks, size, and weight are very reminiscent of last year’s Galaxy.
As for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, things are switched up a fair bit. This is the most expensive version of the company’s mainline phone, starting at $1,300 for 256 GB of internal memory. There are also options for 512 GB and 1 TB of storage.
The Ultra variant now costs $100 more than the S23 Ultra did last year, and that’s mostly due to the new titanium frame that’s supposed to be more durable than the previous aluminum. The Ultra’s 6.8-inch, 120 Hz flat display also sports Corning Gorilla Armor for screen protection and glare reduction. As far as the camera goes, its zoom function has been boosted with a 5x optical zoom lens on the 50 MP telephoto lens. That’s in addition to the 12-MP ultra-wide, 200-MP wide, and 10-MP telephoto with 3x zoom.
The titanium build hasn’t added much heft compared to the S23, but the S24 isn’t lighter either. It weighs just a little over .5 pounds and is still only .3 inches thick. The Ultra variant packs 12 GB of RAM and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip.
What Colors are Available for the S24?
Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
Samsung really went back to matte for its color selection on the regular S24. The cheaper variations of Samsung’s latest smartphone, including the S24 and S24+, come in a deep purple Cobalt Violet and a muted Amber Yellow, alongside a dark and light gray in the form of Onyx Black and Marble Gray.
On the other hand, the S24 Ultra’s new titanium frame has made the colors of the cheaper phones a bit shinier, even with the same hues. The Ultra comes in Titanium Gray, Titanium Black (a variation of light and dark gray), Titanium Violet, and Titanium Yellow.
What Do We Think About the Galaxy S24 So Far?
Gizmodo’s own Florence Ion has been using the S24 Ultra extensively over the past few weeks, and she already has thoughts you can find here. Suffice it to say, the new $1,300 phone is a step up from last year’s model thanks to its titanium frame, better and brighter screen, and all the new generative AI software packed floor to ceiling inside Samsung’s latest phone. Its new zoom capabilities are also nothing to scoff at, thanks to the 5x zoom on the telephoto lens.
You can be sure we’re working on the full rundown of Samsung’s latest S24 slate, so stay tuned.
How Capable is the Galaxy S24’s AI?
Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
Like the Google Pixel 8 before, Samsung wanted to mark its latest phone release as a true “AI phone.” Whatever that truly means, Samsung spent most of its time at its Galaxy Unpacked event talking up the new phone’s generative AI features.
Many of these new features are things we’ve seen before, but the Seoul-based tech giant is promoting them all in one place. As noted in our ongoing review, the Instant Slow-mo feature works quite well, which adds AI-generated frames in videos to add the slow-motion effect artificially. The Generative Edit, akin to Google’s Magic Eraser, also works well enough to remove objects from images and fill in the leftover space.
There’s also the much-advertised Circle to Search feature that’s also coming to Pixel 8 phones. When you hold down on the navigation bar, you can then use a swipe or circle gesture to highlight an image or text on the screen. The feature will then search for that image or text akin to how Google Lens works.
The AI images also come with a watermark and metadata tag made to identify an image of AI. Of course, you can modify an image’s metadata and crop out the watermark, so it’s not like Samsung is promising it will save the world from deepfakes. Hell, you can use Samsung’s own AI to remove the watermark added to modified images.
Plus, Samsung has effectively confirmed its AI might not stay free forever. Samsung’s head of mobile T.M. Roh said that the company is looking into paid premium AI features after the end of 2025. We still don’t know what that will look like, and apparently, neither does Samsung. It’s just something to note considering how AI seems to be the next big push for the mobile market.
How Durable is the Galaxy S24 Ultra?
Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
It’s still early, and folks will need to put all the new phones through their paces. Still, we have a fair idea about how strong titanium can be in phones thanks to the iPhone 15 Pro. Whereas Apple’s premium device was lighter than its past Pro devices, the S24 Ultra variant and its new titanium shell are essentially the same as last year’s, likely due to some swapped internals. The Corning Gorilla Armor on the Ultra should also be stronger and more scratch-resistant than the Victus 2 shield on the regular S24.
Just because it’s now cloaked in a stronger material doesn’t mean you should eschew a case or screen protector. That said, the device may be a fair bit easy to repair should things go horribly wrong, at least based on the most recent S24 teardowns. Videos also show the new phone has expanded its cooling capacity with a larger vapor chamber, which will likely deal with greater heat from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
Need help?
Need some help with your new Samsung smartphone? Check out our how-tos on turning off the pesky Samsung advertising you’ll inevitably encounter. And if you’re trading in a Samsung device for credit on a new one, factory reset it before you send it off. Or, if you’d rather save money on the last generation’s Galaxy series, the good news is that all that fancy new AI software is coming to older Samsung devices.
AT&T said it has begun notifying millions of customers about the theft of personal data recently discovered online.
The telecommunications giant said Saturday that a dataset found on the “dark web” contains information such as Social Security numbers for about 7.6 million current AT&T account holders and 65.4 million former account holders.
The company said it has already reset the passcodes of current users and will be communicating with account holders whose sensitive personal information was compromised.
It is not known if the data “originated from AT&T or one of its vendors,” the company said in a statement. The compromised data is from 2019 or earlier and does not appear to include financial information or call history, it said. In addition to passcodes and Social Security numbers, it may include email and mailing addresses, phone numbers and birth dates.
It is not the first crisis this year for the Dallas-based company. An outage in February temporarily knocked out cellphone service for thousands of U.S. users. AT&T at the time blamed the incident on a technical coding error, not a malicious attack.
WOODSIDE, Calif. (KGO) — San Mateo County officials are meeting with AT&T representatives on Monday to talk about the carrier of last resort’s proposal to end landline service to thousands of California customers.
The beauty of Woodside is certainly something to talk about, but talking by phone from Woodside is another story.
Bree-Anna Vail has lived in the town 29 years and she has the relics to prove it.
“We have wired in a landline here and it’s a candlestick phone, an antique phone and it’s wired so you can dial the rotary,” said Vail.
Beyond entertainment purposes, the Vail family needs a landline.
“We do have power when the power is out because we have a generator that powers the whole home,” said Vail.
But the generator doesn’t power the WiFi router, which the Vails need to use a cellphone inside their home.
“This is my new generator,” said Vail.
“We have about an hour and a half of time and then the wifi goes out, we have no television, we have no computer, we have no phones, we have nothing,” she continued.
Which is why San Mateo County District 3 Supervisor Ray Meuller says county officials are meeting with AT&T to better understand what’s going on.
The AT&T nationwide outage was caused by a software update gone wrong, not malicious intent, sources tell ABC News.
According to the California Public Utilities Commission, AT&T has submitted two proposals to remove its obligation to provide voice services in its service territories.
“It’s about someone who’s sitting there in a natural hazard scenario with a fire bearing down on them or completely cut off in a storm system who may have other ailments not being able to reach out and call 911 because they have no means of communication they’re completely isolated,” said Meuller.
“So last year, we had an eight day outage, there are seven days we would not have any kind of communication for police, fire or ambulance,” said Vail.
“We’re getting up in years and we think it’s important for us to be able to call for medical attention and fire department and police and those kinds of things,” said Robert Vail.
Thomas Steed is the Chairman of the Association of BellTel Retirees.
“If the entire electrical grid in the United States went dark, your landline phones will still work because our central office generates our own power automatically,” said Steed.
In an emailed statement, AT&T tells ABC7 News it is not cancelling landline service in California, writing: “No customer will be disconnected, and we’re working with the remaining consumers who use traditional landline service to upgrade to newer technologies.”
“But that broadband internet goes out in these natural hazard events,” said Meuller.
Which is why opponents like the Vail family say landlines should be here to stay.
The San Mateo Board of Supervisors meeting is open to the public at 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
There’s also a California Public Utilities Commission virtual public hearing on March 19.
Those in the Peninsula are still dealing with problems because of the storms we’ve seen.
AT&T’s full statement here:
“We are not cancelling landline service in California, and none of our California customers will lose access to voice service or 911 service. For customers who do not have alternative options available yet, we will continue to provide their existing voice service as long as is needed. No customer will be disconnected, and we’re working with the remaining consumers who use traditional landline service to upgrade to newer technologies.”
Additional info from AT&T:
Fiber and wireless-based networks are faster, more reliable, use less energy and require less maintenance over time.
Fewer than 5% of households we serve in California use copper-based landline phone service.
We are focused on enhancing our network with more advanced, higher speed technologies like fiber and wireless, which consumers are increasingly demanding over outdated copper-based services.
During climate disasters, when staying connected is essential, our fiber network is more resilient and reliable than our outdated copper network.
Old copper cables take significantly longer to repair following weather events, in some cases taking weeks to dry because of damage due to extensive rain and flooding.
We operate landline networks in 21 states across the country, and 20 of those states have already allowed us to transition from outdated copper technologies to more modern services like fiber and wireless, and none of our traditional landline customers lost service as a result.
Our application with the CPUC is just the first step of a multi-year process to phase out copper-based landline phone service as demand for it continues to decline. In California, 99.7 percent of consumers within our service territory have at least three facilities-based alternative options for voice service. We are committed to bringing more modern services to California that the public needs and wants.
AT&T is reimbursing customers for the nearly 12-hour network outage on Thursday, the company announced in a news release.The mobile network will issue a $5 credit to “potentially impacted” AT&T Wireless customers, which it says is the “average cost of a full day of service.””We recognize the frustration this outage has caused and know we let many of our customers down,” the company said late Saturday. “We understand this may have impacted their ability to connect with family, friends, and others. Small business owners may have been impacted, potentially disrupting an essential way they connect with customers.”The credit will not apply to customers under AT&T’s Business or Prepaid plans or those who have Cricket Wireless accounts. AT&T acquired Cricket in 2014 for about $1.2 billion.The network outage, which was first reported on Thursday at 3:30 a.m. ET, prevented tens of thousands of subscribers across the United States from fully accessing calls, texts, internet and emergency services. AT&T had encountered sporadic service interruptions in the days leading up to the outage, including a temporary 911 outage in some parts of the southeast.While regional disruptions to wireless service happen occasionally, prolonged nationwide outages are rare. The Federal Communications Commission confirmed Thursday it was investigating the incident.The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency also told CNN on Thursday it was “working closely with AT&T to understand the cause of the outage and its impacts, and stand ready to offer any assistance needed.”Several hours after service was restored, AT&T released an update stating the outage seemed to be the result of an internal issue, not a cybersecurity threat.”Based on our initial review, we believe that today’s outage was caused by the application and execution of an incorrect process used as we were expanding our network,” the company said.On Saturday, AT&T reiterated it was taking steps “to prevent this from happening again in the future,” but did not elaborate.
CNN —
AT&T is reimbursing customers for the nearly 12-hour network outageon Thursday, the companyannounced in a news release.
The mobile network will issue a $5 credit to “potentially impacted” AT&T Wireless customers, which it says is the “average cost of a full day of service.”
“We recognize the frustration this outage has caused and know we let many of our customers down,” the company said late Saturday. “We understand this may have impacted their ability to connect with family, friends, and others. Small business owners may have been impacted, potentially disrupting an essential way they connect with customers.”
The credit will not apply to customers under AT&T’s Business or Prepaid plans or those who have Cricket Wireless accounts. AT&T acquired Cricket in 2014 for about $1.2 billion.
The network outage, which was first reported on Thursday at 3:30 a.m. ET, prevented tens of thousands of subscribersacross the United States from fully accessing calls, texts, internet and emergency services. AT&T had encountered sporadic service interruptions in the days leading up to the outage, including a temporary 911 outage in some parts of the southeast.
While regional disruptions to wireless service happen occasionally, prolonged nationwide outages are rare. The Federal Communications Commission confirmed Thursday it was investigating the incident.
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency also told CNN on Thursday it was “working closely with AT&T to understand the cause of the outage and its impacts, and stand ready to offer any assistance needed.”
Several hours after service was restored, AT&T released an update stating the outage seemed to be the result of an internal issue, not a cybersecurity threat.
“Based on our initial review, we believe that today’s outage was caused by the application and execution of an incorrect process used as we were expanding our network,” the company said.
On Saturday, AT&T reiterated it was taking steps “to prevent this from happening again in the future,” but did not elaborate.
Uber driver Damián Reyes was on his second ride of the day in the early hours of Thursday morning when he noticed something strange happening to his AT&T phone.First, his streaming music stopped playing. He restarted his phone, but his ride-sharing app went “completely blank,” he told CNN – all while he had a passenger in the backseat.”I couldn’t work the whole day basically,” he said. “I thought it would probably come back on soon, and I’m just waiting and waiting and waiting.”Left unable to pick up passengers, Reyes, who drives for Uber as his full-time job in Jacksonville, Florida, was one of millions of AT&T customers who struggled with a prolonged, nationwide outage on Thursday. He was left frustrated with the lack of communication by AT&T throughout the outage.The company didn’t publicly acknowledge the outage until it first posted on its site about the outage at 11:15 a.m. ET. Reports on outage tracking service Downdetector showed the network initially went down more than seven hours earlier: Reyes said he experienced the outage starting at 3:50 a.m. ET. AT&T posted just once on X about the outage, pointing customers seeking more information to a faulty link.In a statement to CNN, AT&T said: “We apologize for what has been a very frustrating day for many of our customers.” It said the outage was caused by a software update that went wrong.Mobile networks like AT&T’s have become lifelines for billions of people around the world. They enabled gig worker jobs like Reyes’ and they allow people to access emergency services like 911 on the go. And they have connected the world to friends, family and colleagues no matter where they are.For many AT&T customers, the network outage was far more than an inconvenience. And AT&T’s communication about its disruption, which stretched into the late afternoon, was insufficient, Reyes said.”They could have at least sent a message. I went to AT&T’s Twitter and there was nothing,” he said. “Their phone line? They never answered the phone for me. I don’t know what was going on with them. I got no answer on the app, either.”Reyes isn’t the only customer who felt let down by AT&T; angry customers flooded AT&T’s social media, blasting the company’s apparent lack of transparency.”A simple banner on top of att.com that says ‘everything is broken, were working on it’ would save epic amounts of everyone’s time,” said one user on Reddit. Late Thursday, hours after service was restored, AT&T provided some clarity about the outage, writing that an “initial review” found that it was likely caused by an internal error.The company pointed to its use of customer care lines, social media handles, website and mobile app as places where updates were provided, given the fact that impacted customers were unable to receive text messages.’Not acceptable’Nationwide outages are exceedingly rare. But some consumer advocates say the company’s communication through the predicament could have been better.Mojtaba Vaezi, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Villanova University and director of the school’s Wireless Networking Laboratory, said the outage was “not acceptable,” especially as AT&T advertises its 5G network’s reliability.John Breyault, vice president of public policy, telecommunications, and fraud at the National Consumers League, said that AT&T was in a tricky spot regarding communication since many customers couldn’t access updates through their phones. But the company could have taken steps to communicate using alternate methods, such as Wi-Fi calling, he said.Breyault said the company could have been posting updates on when they expected the outage to be resolved or different ways customers could access 911, which many news outlets were posting.AT&T did not provide public guidance on setting up alternate services such as Wi-Fi calling or the impact on emergency services.911Several local governments reported AT&T’s outage was disrupting emergency services. San Francisco’s Department of Emergency Management said in a statement on X Thursday morning that its 911 center remained operational, but many AT&T customers were unable to reach the emergency line because of the outage. It suggested people call from a landline or find someone with a rival’s service to dial 911.At least one police department reported that its 911 line was briefly flooded with people dialing to see if their calls would go through from their cell phones.An AT&T spokesman said the company’s FirstNet network remained operational despite the outage. FirstNet provides coverage for first responders, including police and fire departments, and is advertised as a more robust network than the AT&T commercial network. It uses a mix of its own infrastructure plus AT&T’s broader network.What’s nextIt’s unclear what the ultimate fallout will be for AT&T. U.S. authorities are investigating the cause, and it may be subject to fines and additional regulatory scrutiny.AT&T’s financial impact may go beyond fines: For frustrated customers like Reyes, some may ultimately choose switch to a different carrier.”Maybe if they would have handled it differently, I probably would have stayed with them,” he added. “But I’m going to go to T-Mobile.”CNN’s Catherine Thorbecke and Clare Duffy contributed to this report.
Uber driver Damián Reyes was on his second ride of the day in the early hours of Thursday morning when he noticed something strange happening to his AT&T phone.
First, his streaming music stopped playing. He restarted his phone, but his ride-sharing app went “completely blank,” he told CNN – all while he had a passenger in the backseat.
“I couldn’t work the whole day basically,” he said. “I thought it would probably come back on soon, and I’m just waiting and waiting and waiting.”
Left unable to pick up passengers, Reyes, who drives for Uber as his full-time job in Jacksonville, Florida, was one of millions of AT&T customers who struggled with a prolonged, nationwide outage on Thursday. He was left frustrated with the lack of communication by AT&T throughout the outage.
The company didn’t publicly acknowledge the outage until it first posted on its site about the outage at 11:15 a.m. ET. Reports on outage tracking service Downdetector showed the network initially went down more than seven hours earlier: Reyes said he experienced the outage starting at 3:50 a.m. ET. AT&T posted just once on X about the outage, pointing customers seeking more information to a faulty link.
In a statement to CNN, AT&T said: “We apologize for what has been a very frustrating day for many of our customers.” It said the outage was caused by a software update that went wrong.
Mobile networks like AT&T’s have become lifelines for billions of people around the world. They enabled gig worker jobs like Reyes’ and they allow people to access emergency services like 911 on the go. And they have connected the world to friends, family and colleagues no matter where they are.
For many AT&T customers, the network outage was far more than an inconvenience. And AT&T’s communication about its disruption, which stretched into the late afternoon, was insufficient, Reyes said.
“They could have at least sent a message. I went to AT&T’s Twitter and there was nothing,” he said. “Their phone line? They never answered the phone for me. I don’t know what was going on with them. I got no answer on the app, either.”
Reyes isn’t the only customer who felt let down by AT&T; angry customers flooded AT&T’s social media, blasting the company’s apparent lack of transparency.
“A simple banner on top of att.com that says ‘everything is broken, were working on it’ would save epic amounts of everyone’s time,” said one user on Reddit.
Late Thursday, hours after service was restored, AT&T provided some clarity about the outage, writing that an “initial review” found that it was likely caused by an internal error.
The company pointed to its use of customer care lines, social media handles, website and mobile app as places where updates were provided, given the fact that impacted customers were unable to receive text messages.
‘Not acceptable’
Nationwide outages are exceedingly rare. But some consumer advocates say the company’s communication through the predicament could have been better.
Mojtaba Vaezi, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Villanova University and director of the school’s Wireless Networking Laboratory, said the outage was “not acceptable,” especially as AT&T advertises its 5G network’s reliability.
John Breyault, vice president of public policy, telecommunications, and fraud at the National Consumers League, said that AT&T was in a tricky spot regarding communication since many customers couldn’t access updates through their phones. But the company could have taken steps to communicate using alternate methods, such as Wi-Fi calling, he said.
Breyault said the company could have been posting updates on when they expected the outage to be resolved or different ways customers could access 911, which many news outlets were posting.
AT&T did not provide public guidance on setting up alternate services such as Wi-Fi calling or the impact on emergency services.
911
Several local governments reported AT&T’s outage was disrupting emergency services. San Francisco’s Department of Emergency Management said in a statement on X Thursday morning that its 911 center remained operational, but many AT&T customers were unable to reach the emergency line because of the outage. It suggested people call from a landline or find someone with a rival’s service to dial 911.
At least one police department reported that its 911 line was briefly flooded with people dialing to see if their calls would go through from their cell phones.
An AT&T spokesman said the company’s FirstNet network remained operational despite the outage. FirstNet provides coverage for first responders, including police and fire departments, and is advertised as a more robust network than the AT&T commercial network. It uses a mix of its own infrastructure plus AT&T’s broader network.
What’s next
It’s unclear what the ultimate fallout will be for AT&T. U.S. authorities are investigating the cause, and it may be subject to fines and additional regulatory scrutiny.
AT&T’s financial impact may go beyond fines: For frustrated customers like Reyes, some may ultimately choose switch to a different carrier.
“Maybe if they would have handled it differently, I probably would have stayed with them,” he added. “But I’m going to go to T-Mobile.”
CNN’s Catherine Thorbecke and Clare Duffy contributed to this report.
Wireless customers with AT&T, Cricket Wireless, T-Mobile, and Verizon all reported outages across the country this morning. And just like clockwork, some folks online pounced on the disruption as evidence of a global conspiracy.
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Alex Jones, arguably America’s most popular conspiracy theorist, believes the telecom outage is a direct result of Chinese hackers.
“Is it a cyber attack? AT&T is being very tight-lipped,” Jones insisted in a web broadcast on Thursday in his typical “just asking questions” style.
In fact, even people who aren’t known conspiracy theorists were bringing up the apocalyptic Netflix movie Leave the World Behind, causing the title to trend on X.
“Predictive programming from the Netflix movie ‘Leave The World Behind,’” a prominent X account that shares QAnon conspiracy theories wrote on Thursday.
“No internet. No phones. No going back to normal,” the account continued, echoing the movie’s promotional tagline.
And while that really is how the movie is promoted on Netflix, there’s no evidence this outage is “predictive programming,” a term used by some conspiracy theorists to explain how speculative fiction sometimes accurately predicts events in the real world. In the real world, sometimes artists simply predict events because they’re because they’re lucky or have a good handle on things likely to happen in the future.
Leave the World Behind movie stars Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, and Mahershala Ali, and follows two families as they try to navigate the world after a mysterious attack, possibly by a foreign adversary, destroys modern technology like cellphone service, internet access, and TV broadcasts.
Believe it or not, the movie was already a popular movie with people who might have a screw loose. Why? It was executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, who have a producing deal with Netflix. The Obamas figure prominently in baseless conspiracy theories that hinge on a worldwide network of pedophiles controlling the world and that Michelle Obama is transgender. Not to mention the birther conspiracy theory, an idea that President Obama wasn’t born in the U.S. which President Donald Trump helped spread.
But it wasn’t just conspiracy theorists who were comparing this outage to Leave the World Behind. Apocalyptic movies work by tapping into our greatest fears for the future. In this case, the movie did a good job of making viewers feel like they weren’t sure what was happening. And when it’s difficult to get real information—as it obviously was for the characters in the movie—several conflicting narratives can start to spread, including rumors about who or what was actually causing the communications breakdown.
We use movies like Leave the World Behind as cultural touchstones—a shared shorthand when something scary or unjust happens. If the movie is popular enough, it makes sense and everyone instantly knows what you’re getting at, like when the Syrian refugee crisis hit Europe in 2015 and people were comparing the horrific photos that were emerging to the 2006 dystopian film Children of Men.
Other times the meaning of a film requires a lot more interpretation, like when I argued in 2018 that Bird Box, the Netflix movie starring Sandra Bullock, was the first great monster movie where the unseen horror was social media. But whether it’s Bird Box or Leave the World Behind, we clearly live in an era of incredible unease around technology. We’re all staring at our phones and other screens for hours each day and none of this “connection” is making us feel any more connected to other humans.
It’s that alienation that can drive many people further into conspiracy theories in a vicious cycle that’s enticing for its simplicity. But why would President Obama help make an entire movie about a plan to disrupt communications and then actually carry out that plan? Apparently in the minds of conspiracy theorists, guys like Obama are all villains in a James Bond movie who tell you their entire plot before they carry it out, giving the hero just enough time to save the day.
Again, there’s no evidence that anything happening with today’s telecom outage is anything but a normal service disruption. But if you start seeing hundreds of self-driving Teslas piling up with no humans inside, then you can start to worry.
Update, 9:50 p.m. ET: AT&T has released a statement to explain that today’s outage wasn’t a cyberattack.
NEW YORK (WABC) — Widespread AT&T outages have been impacting customers nationwide, but the NYPD said that 911 is operating normally and was not affected by the major outage early Thursday morning.
But just like everyone else, police department phones on AT&T service were disrupted.
Between 5:15 a.m. and 6:15 a.m., the department’s AT&T phones were not able to make calls or utilize email. The phones operated when connected to Wi-Fi.
Suffolk County put out a preemptive post on the cellphone outage, telling residents to text 911 if there is a problem. But there were no 911 problems reported in Suffolk County either.
The city’s Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications cyber command is monitoring the AT&T situation and say that as of now, city services are continuing.
AT&T runs the FirstNet network that remained up the entire time. FirstNet provides coverage for first responders and is advertised as a more robust network than the AT&T commercial network.
It uses a mix of its own infrastructure plus AT&T’s broader network. Its customers include police and fire departments, as well as first responders during natural disasters.
“I spoke to the NYPD, NYPD says they are getting their calls into 911, including from AT&T customers. That’s what they know about, what’s working,” Intelligence Analyst John Miller explained. “There is no way to gauge who is not getting through. They also say their systems, their phones are working.”
Miller explained that AT&T is interesting among the characters because it runs FirstNet.
“So even in a crisis, even when things aren’t supposed to have priority. So first responders and emergency services can communicate in a crisis,” Miller said. “According to NYPD at least, that’s working. I spoke to an FBI, their cyber people are monitoring this, but they don’t know that there is anything nefarious going on. It’s just something they would monitor.”
Additionally, both Verizon and T-Mobile say they are completely unaffected. The DownDetector website did report outages for both services, but neither had them. instead, their customers were likely reporting problems reaching AT&T customers
“We did not experience an outage,” T-Mobile said in a statement. “Our network is operating normally.”
“Verizon’s network is operating normally,” Verizon also said. “Some customers experienced issues this morning when calling or texting with customers served by another carrier. We are continuing to monitor the situation.”
Verizon believes the nationwide outage involving AT&T customers “is close to being resolved,” according to a Verizon spokesman.
T-Mobile and Verizon said their networks were unaffected by AT&T’s service outage and customers reporting outages may have been unable to reach customers who use AT&T.
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In the wee hours of Thursday, AT&T, one of the nation’s major cellular providers, had a massive outage that, as of 10 a.m., continues unabated. According to reports, the outage, which the telecom giant has yet to explain, is impacting cities across the country and 911 service for as many as 74,000 customers. Wi-fi calling continues to work for those without cell service.
Although the reason for the outage has not been revealed, it appears to be related to how calls are passed between networks — AT&T to Verizon, for example. And while the outage has not directly impacted those on other cellular services, those who are affected on AT&T cannot make or receive calls from any providers complicating communications across the entire network of phones nationwide. In some cases, if a Verizon or T-Mobile customer is connected to an AT&T network, it could cause problems for those users as well.
AT&T has said that its first responder network remains operational, but that doesn’t necessarily mean people calling 911 can get through if their personal cell service has been affected. Additionally, some cities have been impacted by people calling 911 just to test their service, flooding those services with calls and blocking others with actual emergencies from getting through.
Houston, along with Dallas and San Antonio, are the cities in Texas that appear to be most affected by the outage. Other cities including Atlanta, New York, Miami, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Chicago are also having issues.
File photo of the AT&T logo. The network is experiencing wireless service interruptions Thursday, Feb. 22, and encourages Wi-Fi calling.
Mark Lennihan
AP
A cellular outage has impacted mobile phone customers nationally, leaving many users without the ability to place calls.
The outage, which began in the early morning hours of Thursday, Feb. 22, is affecting customers of AT&T, Verizon and many other cell service providers, according to DownDetector.com.
AT&T says there is a quick fix to placing calls by enabling Wi-Fi calling on your phone.
So how do you do that?
iPhone users
By using Wi-Fi calling, mobile phone users will be able to “make or receive a phone call if you have a Wi-Fi connection in an area with little or no cellular coverage,” Apple says.
To turn on the option, Apple says to go to “Settings” on your phone. Then, tap the “Phone” and then “Wi-Fi Calling.”
“If Wi-Fi calling is available, you’ll see ‘Wi-Fi’ in the status bar while viewing control center,” according to Apple. “Then your calls will use Wi-Fi Calling.”
To enable this option on Android phones, open the Phone app, tap “More,” then go to “Settings.” Then, Google says to tap “Calls” and then tap “Wi-Fi calling.”
Not all phone carriers support Wi-Fi calling, according to Google.
“Once you’ve set up Wi-Fi calling, you can make a call over Wi-Fi just like any other call,” Google said. “When you’re connected to the internet, you’ll see ‘Internet Call’ or ‘Wi-Fi calling’ on the notification screen.”
Mike Stunson covers real-time news for McClatchy. He is a 2011 Western Kentucky University graduate who has previously worked at the Paducah Sun and Madisonville Messenger as a sports reporter and the Lexington Herald-Leader as a breaking news reporter. Support my work with a digital subscription
Take a look down at your phone. SOS mode? Yeah, you’re not alone. Cellular providers across the country are apparently experiencing outages. And we’re not talking just one company. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and US Cellular are all reporting outages.
Is this it? Is the apocalypse upon us? You can’t keep a good dog down for long as folks were quick to find a computer and voice their concerns on the internet. Heaven forbid we go a day without our cell phones permanently drawing attention from our eye balls.
I’m sure with each passing hour, specific providers will post updates and things will slowly get back to normal. But what if for one day, we all went outside and touched some gras- WAIT. I HAVE FULL SERVICE!
ORLANDO, Fla. – A massive cellphone outage has been reported in the U.S. by AT&T customers.
Starting early Thursday, AT&T customers started seeing the service on their phones switch to SOS mode, which means only emergency calls can be made.
AT&T has yet to comment about the outage, the cause of which is unknown.
In Central Florida, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office posted on X that AT&T customers who have an emergency should send a text message to 911.
On a smaller scale, outages were also reported by users of Cricket Wireless, Verizon and T-Mobile,
Check back for updates.
AT&T is experiencing a nationwide outage when calling 9-1-1. AT&T customers in Seminole County should call the non-emergency number 407-665-6650 for emergencies until the issue is resolved.
UPDATE: Texts to 911 from affected AT&T users are now being received. If you have an emergency, and cannot dial out, send a text message to 911. pic.twitter.com/VKabmSfyYx
— Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (@FlaglerSheriff) February 22, 2024
Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
NORTH CONWAY, N.H., December 5, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– A new impact report has been released by Digitunity, revealing the transformative success of a two-year, 10-city initiative to close the digital divide for K-12 students and their families. Led by Digitunity and funded as part of AT&T’s Connected Learning commitment to address the digital divide, the project drew upon and featured the work of 11 top-tier nonprofit technology refurbishing organizations. An effort to bridge what is known as the “homework gap” in the project’s 10 markets, this collaborative effort surpassed its two-year target within the very first year, culminating in twice the projected impact by its conclusion.
Key outcomes include:
41,597 devices comprising laptops, desktops, and tablets
2,171 Wi-Fi hotspots ensuring connectivity
26,571 students equipped with digital literacy training
An estimated 2,633,110 pounds of e-waste diverted from landfills
The initiative, launched in August 2021, was designed to foster long-lasting relationships between private, public, and social sectors within each community. This involved activating local nonprofit technology refurbishing organizations within Digitunity’s practitioner network, alongside a wide and diverse range of local businesses and nonprofit organizations. The project sought to source, refurbish, and deploy free or extremely affordable devices to underserved K-12 students. Championing this cause in the 10-city initiative were the following organizations:
Inspiredu in Atlanta, GA
Mission Ignite in Buffalo, NY
Compudopt in Dallas, TX
Digital Bridge in Milwaukee, WI
Electronic Access Foundation and Human I-T in New York, NY
Computer Reach in Pittsburgh, PA
Kramden Institute in Raleigh-Durham, NC
Computers 2 Kids in San Diego, CA
InterConnection in Seattle, WA
Wilderness Technology Alliance in Washington, D.C.
In Atlanta, Nafeesah Burson, after receiving a computer from Inspiredu, enrolled in 100 hours of cybersecurity training and CompTIA certifications. Similarly, in the Bronx, New York, students empowered with personal laptops embarked upon job workforce programs, refining their resumes and exploring new job opportunities.
The “AT&T Pioneers” employee volunteer network also played an active role. They not only volunteered at local used electronic donation drives but also demonstrated practical environmental responsibility by upcycling t-shirts into pet toys and promoting “going green” through seedling distributions at some of this initiative’s computer collection events.
“We’ve always believed in the necessity of connectivity and device accessibility for success. Working alongside Digitunity, we’ve been able to place devices directly into the hands of those most in need,” stated Mylayna Albright, AVP, Corporate Social Responsibility, AT&T.
With hundreds of devices also being extended to recently arrived Ukrainian refugee families in Seattle, the initiative’s reach is both deep and expansive.
Dr. Estelle-Marie Montgomery, Ph.D., Executive Director at the Faunteroy Center in the Washington, D.C., area, added, “Basic computer skills are now fundamental for connectivity across all generations.”
The alliances fostered by this project have paved the way for a brighter future, with stakeholders from various sectors coming together behind a unified cause. As the pages of this initiative’s success stories turn, they stand as a testament to the power of private, public, and social sector collaboration in creating lasting solutions to digital inequities.
Digitunity is on a mission to make owning a computer possible for everyone. Owning a computer is essential for people to thrive in the modern economy. Yet, 36 million people in the United States don’t have a computer at home. Since the 1980s, Digitunity and its predecessor organization have advanced digital equity by connecting donors of technology with organizations serving people in need. To learn more about Digitunity’s work, please visit digitunity.org.
About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at AT&T
We’re committed to advancing education, creating opportunities, strengthening communities and improving lives. As part of our company-wide commitment to address the digital divide, we launched AT&T Connected Learning to invest in connectivity, technology, digital literacy and education solutions to help today’s learners succeed inside and outside of the classroom. Since 2008, we’ve committed more than $600 million to programs that help millions of students across all 50 states and around the world, particularly those in underserved communities.
Thousands of people in Maui are without cell service as the wildfires continue to rage out of control on the island, preventing people from calling emergency services or updating loved ones about their status. It could take days or even weeks to get the networks back up and running.
“911 is down. Cell service is down. Phone service is down,” Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke told CNN on Wednesday morning.
Although strong winds can sometimes threaten cell towers, most are strong enough to handle the worst that even a Category 5 hurricane can bring. Fire, however, complicates the issue.
“When the fires get too close to cell sites, they will obviously burn equipment, antennas, and feedlines,” said Glenn O’Donnell, VP of research at market research firm Forrester. “In extreme cases, they will also weaken the towers, leading some to collapse. The smoke and flames can also attenuate signals because of the particulate density in the air.”
If a tower collapses, cell networks could take months to restore. But if carriers are able and prepared to do restorations with mobile backup units, it could bring limited service back within hours, O’Donnell said. Wireless carriers often bring in COWs (Cells On Wheels), COLTs (Cells On Light Trucks), and GOaTs (Generators on Trailers) in emergencies to provide backup service when cell towers go down.
Power outages are also a threat to cell phone towers. The Maui disaster has already wiped out power to at least 14,000 homes and businesses in the area, according to PowerOutage.us. Many towers have backup power generators, but they have limited capacity to keep towers running.
Cell towers have back-up technology built in, but this is typically done through optical fiber cables or microwave (wireless) links, according to Dimitris Mavrakis, senior researcher at ABI Research. However, if something extraordinary happens, such as interaction with rampant fires, these links may experience “catastrophic failures and leave cells without a connection to the rest of the world.”
And, in an emergency, a spike in call volume can overload the system – even if people are able to get reception.
“Even cells that have a good service may experience outages due to the sheer volume of communication happening at once,” Mavrakis said. “Everyone in these areas may be trying to contact relatives or the authorities at once, saturating the network and causing an outage. This is easier to correct though and network operators may put in place additional measures to render them operational quickly.”
A T-Mobile spokesperson said the company is monitoring the situation and assessing the fire’s impact on its equipment in the area.
“When conditions are safe, our Emergency Management Team will deploy portable, agile satellite and microwave solutions that will restore service in impacted areas,” the spokesperson said. “We also have portable generators ready to deploy to sites affected by commercial power loss, and our Emergency Response Team is working with FEMA and the state of Hawaii to support firefighters and other first responders, organizations and communities.”
An AT&T spokesperson told CNN it is also assessing the’ impact to its wireless network and “will continue to coordinate closely with local utility companies on restoration progress.” The company is waiving talk, text and data overage charges during this time.
Verizon did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.
Satellite networks, however, continue to operate regardless of what’s happening on the ground. This means satellite phones, which often feature large antennas, can help provide voice, SMS, and data services anywhere on Earth, even without cell service.
Satellite phones have been popularized over the years by hikers, emergency responders and intrepid travelers, but they are are expensive and are not mainstream products. However, some newer smartphone models – including the latest model iPhone 14 and some phones built by Motorola and Huawei – offer built-in satellite connectivity, which allows the sending of SOS messages via satellites.
For example, Apple’s free Emergency SOS via satellite service, which launched last year, allows iPhone users to contact dedicated dispatchers in emergency situations via satellites. When a user attempts to call 911 and is unable to get on a cell network, they will be automatically redirected to the service’s dispatchers where they can answer a questionnaire with short multiple choice questions to share information quickly. The dispatchers also receive their coordinates, medical ID and emergency contact information.
Apple told CNN the feature is reserved for connections to emergency services and does not allow users to contact friends and family. For anyone who has access to a Wi-Fi connection while wearing an Apple Watch, the Walkie-Talkie feature could also be used to send messages or make calls. However, Wi-Fi networks can also fail when optical fiber networks are disrupted.
Although it’s unclear how long cell phone service could be down in affected regions, companies have been able to bring connectivity to disaster regions in the past. In 2017, Google worked with AT&T and T-Mobile to deploy its Project Loon balloons to deliver Internet to Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
Hawaii’s Red Cross recently tweeted that people can call 1-800-RED-CROSS to see if their loved ones are at a local shelter.
