Verizon Wireless Outage Hits US Customers Nationwide

Verizon customers across the United States faced widespread disruptions to wireless voice and data services on Wednesday, with reports surging around noon Eastern Time. The outage, which affected hundreds of thousands of users nationwide, left many unable to make calls or access mobile internet, though emergency services remained available.

Outage tracking site Downdetector recorded more than 170,000 complaints within hours of the issues beginning, peaking at nearly 200,000 in some areas. Affected iPhone users saw "SOS" in their status bar, a signal that the device could not connect to Verizon's network but could still reach 911 through other carriers. Android devices displayed blank or crossed-out signal icons. The problems spanned both coasts, with the highest concentrations in major East Coast cities such as New York, Chicago, and Richmond, Virginia, according to user reports. While not every Verizon customer experienced issues, those impacted described complete loss of cellular connectivity, including 5G and LTE data.

The outage also created ripple effects for customers of other carriers. Users on AT&T and T-Mobile reported difficulties reaching Verizon numbers, with spikes...