With widespread outrage over missed appointments, no GPS, and the inability to log in to work apps, many say a $20 credit is not enough to make up for the incident.<\/b>
\nA massive, 10-hour Verizon outage yesterday took large swaths of Americans back to the pre-smartphone era, causing outrage and in some cases significant consequences.
\u00ab\u00a0I got locked in a parking garage and couldn\u2019t get out due to no cell service to call\u00a0\u00bb, one person says. \u00ab\u00a0Missed appointments, late to meetings.\u00a0\u00bb
The outage is resolved, but Verizon has not provided a detailed explanation of what took down its network, only that it was not a cyberattack. \u00ab\u00a0This was a software issue and we are conducting a full review of what happened\u00a0\u00bb, a company spokesperson tells us.
Verizon’s handling of the situation has come under intense scrutiny. One person, unaware of the outage, spent hours troubleshooting their inactive device with customer service agents who had not been briefed on the situation. The company plans to issue a $20 credit for everyone affected, which many account holders are calling \u00ab\u00a0unacceptable\u00a0\u00bb given the inconveniences it caused.
Even worse, Verizon also won’t proactively apply the credit to affected accounts; you have to go into the Verizon app to redeem it when it’s ready. The company might be banking on customers not following through. Some say the whole ordeal made them want to switch carriers.
Many people experienced disruptions at work due to the inability to place calls, send texts, use internet-connected applications, or receive two-factor authentication texts. \u00ab\u00a0Can\u2019t even work right now, they ought to compensate for missing work due to the outage\u00a0\u00bb, one person says. \u00ab\u00a0My work as a courier depends on calls and texts for communication, so I have lost at least a day’s pay\u00a0\u00bb, another person reports.
Another widespread issue was transportation, as people lost access to GPS and ride-share apps. Multiple people reported having no way to call an Uber or Lyft at the airport or to get in touch with the people picking them up. (Without GPS, those people may have gotten lost, too.) One person said the lack of GPS \u00ab\u00a0made my commute balloon to over 2 hours (usually under 1).\u00a0\u00bb
\u00ab\u00a0My husband got stranded in the middle of nowhere with no GPS and he couldn\u2019t call out\u00a0\u00bb, another person says. \u00ab\u00a0His brother is in the hospital & we can\u2019t get updates on his condition.\u00a0\u00bb Another also reported being unable to contact family members on a family plan.
Uber drivers were also unable to log in to their accounts to pick up rides. Some truckers also reported on Reddit that they were stranded with full loads or unable to get assigned new ones without a working cellphone.
On a more serious note, some people report that they were unable to dial 911. However, all mobile phones should be able to connect to any available carrier network (not just your personal plan) to place an emergency call.
\u00ab\u00a0This light caught fire today and my family was unable to call 911 because of Verizon’s incompetency\u00a0\u00bb, says one person on X. \u00ab\u00a0Thankfully our cleaners happened to be at the house (who have T-Mobile) and called 911.\u00a0\u00bb One of PCMag’s editors saw someone struggling to call 911 to report a person possibly overdosing on the streets of New York.
The Orange County Deputy Sheriff’s office reminds the public that mobile phones can still call 911, but says too many people were calling 911 to report the outage. Not having a working cellphone can certainly feel like an emergency these days.
\u00ab\u00a0Do NOT call 911 to report that you have No Bars. Please keep 911 lines clear for life-threatening emergencies only\u00a0\u00bb, the office said. \u00ab\u00a0My TikTok won’t load is not a Countywide Emergency. Hang in there, everyone. We\u2019ll get through this 1G lifestyle together.\u00a0\u00bb
Some people used the opportunity to take a break from their phones, including one mom who chose to watch her son’s baseball practice rather than be on her phone the whole time.
Others plan to stick with Verizon, chalking the incident up to an anomaly. \u00ab\u00a0Honestly, I\u2019ve had Verizon for over 30 years\u00a0\u00bb, one person says. \u00ab\u00a0They were the only carrier that had service on 9\/11 and I\u2019ve never had this happen in the past 30 years. It\u2019s annoying and I will be calling in for a credit, but this is not the norm. I think of leaving at times, but I also know the service I\u2019ve had for major events when no other carrier did.\u00a0\u00bb
Unfortunately, outages are not uncommon. That’s why one US senator says the Verizon outage underscores the need for federal legislation to force wireless carriers and internet service providers to compensate consumers for network disruptions. \u201cI\u2019m working on legislation that would require cable, internet, and phone companies to provide pro-rated refunds when outages last for hours at a time,\u201d tweeted Sen. Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-New Mexico).<\/p>\n