10
Loading video...
By Anna Commander
News Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
AT&T faced widespread service disruptions on Monday afternoon, with thousands of customers reporting issues affecting their connectivity, according to tracking platform Downdetector.
Downdetector recorded a peak of approximately 5,900 outage reports at 3:32 p.m. ET. By 4:02 p.m. ET, that number had declined to 2,383 reports. Hours later, at approximately 8:45 p.m. ET, reports of outages fell to 200.
Local station WFAA reported that disruptions in the Dallas area stemmed from a fiber equipment issue.
Read More on U.S.
Many users in Texas have been reporting issues, according to Newsweek's review of AT&T's help responses on X.
An AT&T spokeswoman told Newsweek via email on Monday night that "internet service in the Dallas area is operating normally following a disruption today."
The spokeswoman continued: "Our teams worked quickly to repair the issue. We understand how important these services are and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience. AT&T Guarantee will provide a bill credit if a customer experienced a qualifying outage lasting 20 minutes or more."
...
What to Know
The company’s support X account, @ATTHelp, responded directly to customers amid the reports, telling users it would check coverage in their area and “look into options to resolve” the reported issue.
In another post on X, AT&T wrote its “specialized tech team is working hard” to get services back up and running, adding that the timeframe for a resolution could vary depending on factors including the severity of the issue.
Customers can check whether they are affected by an outage by using AT&T’s online outage map, which provides information about service disruptions in localized areas.
AT&T also advised affected customers to use the Smart Home Manager app, telling one customer on X that the tool can provide additional information while the company works to restore coverage in the area. The company said affected customers can sign up for text updates through its website, which will notify them when the reported outage is resolved.
Outages, with most being localized and temporary, are relatively common for telecommunications and internet providers, though the scope and duration can vary. Service disruptions can be caused by issues including fiber or equipment failures, severe weather, power problems, maintenance or damage to network infrastructure.
A similar disruption occurred last month involving Verizon when thousands of users across the country reported problems with the carrier’s wireless service.
Downdetector’s live outage map showed clusters of activity in Phoenix, Scottsdale, New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles, suggesting the issue affected multiple major metro areas rather than a single regional node.
Contact Newsweek editor for this story: Anthony Murray.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines