If you had trouble using Verizon’s network on Monday, you weren’t alone. The carrier confirmed to CNET that it is working on fixing several issues that led to service outages for some users. After a day of problems, everything should be back online Monday night, he said.
“Verizon engineers have fully restored today’s network outage that affected some customers,” the carrier told CNET in a statement Monday night. “Service has returned to normal levels. If the issue still persists, we recommend restarting your device.”
A Verizon spokesperson confirmed Monday morning that it was addressing the issue, and in a statement updated at 4:53 p.m. ET, the carrier said the issue was still ongoing but “progressing” on fixing it. ” he admitted.
“Verizon engineers are working to resolve the network issue and service is beginning to be restored,” the company told CNET. “We know how much people trust Verizon, and we apologize for the inconvenience caused to some customers today. We will work within 24 hours to fully resolve this issue. We continue to work on this system.”
It wasn’t immediately clear what exactly the problem was or how many people were affected. Similarly, it is unclear whether airlines will issue refunds to customers to make up for lost days of service. When AT&T suffered a network outage earlier this year, it issued a $5 statement credit to all accounts to “resolve the issue.”
The exact issue is not yet known, but Verizon says it is unrelated to Hurricane Helen, which hit the United States over the weekend.
The problem began in the early hours of Monday, when some Verizon users posted to X showing their phones stuck in “SOS mode.” This mode is an emergency setting that allows users to contact and reach first responders, but not friends, family, or contacts in general.
If your phone is stuck in SOS mode: @Verizon @VerizonSupport #Verizon
— Jalen Harper💧 (@Scooper1946) September 30, 2024
Is anyone having problems with @Verizon in Chicago? I’m in SOS mode.
— Patty Wetli (@pattywetli) September 30, 2024
Downdetector, a website that allows users to self-report outages, said problems with Verizon’s service have begun to appear in major cities such as Chicago, Atlanta and New York. (Downdetector is owned by Ziff Davis, the same parent company as CNET.)
T-Mobile and AT&T told CNET earlier Monday that there are no issues with their respective networks and that the issues their respective users are experiencing may be the result of trying to connect Verizon users whose service is unavailable. I confirmed that.
A T-Mobile spokesperson said, “Due to increasing reports of Down Detector associated with other providers, we believe our customers may be having trouble connecting to other networks. “There is,” he said. “With the exception of some areas where recovery from Hurricane Helen continues, our network is operating normally.”
