# Major cell service outage {2024-02-22} **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** breaking-news\ **Created:** [February 22, 2024, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945 "2024-02-22T14:11:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/1 "2024-02-22T14:11:10Z")
_Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/1))_ ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/2 "2024-02-22T14:12:41Z")
I’m on T-Mobile. East coast. Not on Wi-Fi. Looking at 3 bars LTE right now. Have successfully made calls. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/3 "2024-02-22T14:20:34Z")
Boost Mobile, Sacramento CA. When I turn off my phone’s WiFi, I’m seeing LTE, which is pretty normal for in my living room (for some reason, reception is not good inside my apartment). Bit early here to be making test calls. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/4 "2024-02-22T14:25:51Z")
AT&T in Texas. No cell service at the moment. Home internet is going in+out every few minutes as well, not sure if that is related. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/5 "2024-02-22T14:27:39Z")
[https://downdetector.com/status/att/map/](https://downdetector.com/status/att/map/) [https://downdetector.com/status/verizon/map/](https://downdetector.com/status/verizon/map/) [https://downdetector.com/status/t-mobile/map/](https://downdetector.com/status/t-mobile/map/) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/6 "2024-02-22T14:29:46Z")
I’m down as far as Cell. AT&T in Central Jersey. Home Internet had 2 short blips so far. I updated the title with the Date and tagged it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/7 "2024-02-22T14:35:53Z")
Western Pennsylvania Verizon phone working fine. An employee with TMobile has no service ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/8 "2024-02-22T14:37:03Z")
Ohio. T mobile. Okay so far. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/9 "2024-02-22T14:37:14Z")
My cell service is down. I have a little ‘SOS’ in the corner of my phone, which apparently means emergency calls only. Hopefully I will not need to test that. I have Cricket, which uses AT&T’s network. My internet seems fine, but it’s a different carrier- Comcast / XFinity. Huh, I am trying to post this, but the message board won’t let me. My internet still seems fine otherwise, so no idea if it’s related to the cell outage or just a SDMB thing. No idea if anybody will ever read this post. ETA: So I can post again, obviously. Can I edit my posts…? ETA2: Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/10 "2024-02-22T14:39:27Z")
News reports of nationwide issues with AT&T: [https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/22/tech/att-cell-service-outage/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/22/tech/att-cell-service-outage/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/11 "2024-02-22T14:50:19Z")
I checked “don’t know” then realized that was silly, I’ve got the damn thing right here, so I placed a call to my VoIP phone from my cell phone and yes, it rang. T-Mobile. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/12 "2024-02-22T14:52:50Z")
Sorry. Its Metro PC. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/13 "2024-02-22T14:58:23Z")
T-Mobile at BOS waiting for a plane. Working fine: 5G, 5 bars, Samsung S21. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/14 "2024-02-22T15:03:24Z")
“Nationwide” in the sense that outages are occurring all over, though not “nationwide” in the sense it might imply. I’m hearing it might have something to do with solar flares? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/15 "2024-02-22T15:06:25Z")
> **[AT&T customers hit by widespread cellular outages in U.S.](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/t-verizon-t-mobile-customers-hit-widespread-cellular-outages-us-rcna139938)** > > Over 50,000 AT&T outages were reported at about 7 a.m. ET Thursday, with most issues reported in Houston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and Atlanta, according to the tracking site Downdetector.  > AT&T’s network suffered widespread outages across the country Thursday morning with cellular service and internet down, according to the tracking site Downdetector. > Some Verizon and T-Mobile customers also reported outages, though both companies said those affected had been trying to contact AT&T users. > “We are working urgently to restore service to them. We encourage the use of Wi-Fi calling until service is restored,” the company said. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/16 "2024-02-22T15:07:40Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > Boost Mobile, Sacramento CA. When I turn off my phone’s WiFi, I’m seeing LTE, which is pretty normal for in my living room (for some reason, reception is not good inside my apartment). Bit early here to be making test calls. I’m about 100 miles south. Verizon running fine. AT&T internet still up. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/17 "2024-02-22T15:09:10Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > > Some Verizon and T-Mobile customers also reported outages, though both companies said those affected had been trying to contact AT&T users. I’m not sure how that explanation makes sense when the AT&T outage seems to be primarily Texas-Kansas, while the Verizon outage reports are coming mainly from the E Coast. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/18 "2024-02-22T15:09:35Z")
Google Fi in Atlanta, so probably tmobile network. Turned off wifi, have 5G with full bars. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/19 "2024-02-22T15:12:02Z")
I’m AT&T East Coast and my signal was missing when I checked earlier. (It appears to be back up now though) But Verizon is the largest carrier in my area, so it does make sense if my sister was trying to call me, she wouldn’t have connected. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945/20 "2024-02-22T15:15:30Z")
Right, so I was comparing those Downdetector maps. It what you describe was happening, my first expectation was the Verizon reports map should look similar to the AT&T reports map, but they are very different. Are you thinking that’s just because of who the biggest carriers are in the different areas? I got the sense that Downdetector controls for that, it claims to be relative to the average number of reports. I’m not sure though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-cell-service-outage-2024-02-22/997945.md?page=2)