Verizon customers across the U.S. faced a significant service disruption on Monday, with many reporting that their mobile phones were unable to make or receive calls, except for emergency services. The outage, which began around 10:00 a.m. ET, affected a large number of users, with over 70,000 reports logged on service outage tracking platforms.
Outage Impact and User Reports
The outage was widespread, with reports coming in from cities across the country, including New York and Los Angeles. Many users took to social media to express their frustration, noting that their phones had entered SOS mode, limiting them to making only emergency calls via satellite connections.
Users on platforms like X and Threads reported that their phones were working normally until the outage occurred, after which they were unable to make outbound calls. The issue persisted for several hours, causing significant inconvenience to affected customers.
What is SOS Mode?
When a phone enters SOS mode, it indicates that the device is having trouble connecting to the wireless network. In this mode, the phone can still make emergency calls, such as 911, by connecting to other carriers. This mode is typically activated when there is a poor or non-existent network connection.
Verizon's Response
Verizon acknowledged the issue and stated that their engineers were actively working to identify and resolve the problem. By the evening, Verizon confirmed that service had been fully restored, with network disruptions resolved and service returned to normal levels.
The company's response included assurances that they were making every effort to pinpoint and rectify the issue, and they thanked customers for their patience during the outage.
