AT&T Resolves Software Issue Behind Wireless Service Outage, Apologizes for Disruption

AT&T has announced that it has resolved a software issue that caused a disruption in wireless service for some customers on Tuesday. The company, which has faced multiple outages this year, confirmed the issue was fixed early Wednesday.

“We’ve addressed the software problem that prevented a limited number of our customers from connecting to our wireless network,” an AT&T spokesperson said in a statement. “We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate our customers’ patience as we worked to resolve this issue.”

The outage, which occurred late Tuesday, impacted customers in various cities across the United States, including Dallas, Charlotte, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, and New York City. The digital service tracking website Down Detector reported a surge in outage reports beginning around 5 p.m. ET, peaking at 7 p.m., before gradually decreasing by 10 p.m.

While the company did not specify the number of affected customers or the duration of the outage, it was confirmed that the issue was not nationwide. However, several government agencies across the country reported that the outage had affected 911 call services in their areas, advising residents to use non-emergency lines if they were unable to connect.

In Tennessee, the Hawkins County 911 agency warned that the outage could hinder AT&T wireless customers from reaching their 911 center. Similar advisories were issued by police departments in Pinole, California, and San Jose, where the ability to call 911 was temporarily impacted.

AT&T’s latest outage follows a $950,000 settlement with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Monday. The settlement was related to an investigation into whether the company failed to properly deliver 911 calls and notify 911 call centers during an outage in August 2023. As part of the agreement, AT&T has committed to a three-year plan to ensure compliance with the FCC’s 911 and outage notification rules.

The Tuesday outage is one of several the telecom giant has experienced this year, with notable incidents in February and June that left many customers unable to place calls, send texts, or access the internet.

Recent months have also seen widespread 911 service disruptions across multiple states, including Massachusetts, Nevada, and Arizona, due to various technical issues unrelated to AT&T.