AT&T Confirms No Cyberattack Involved in Recent US Cellphone Network Outage
In a recent development, AT&T has confirmed that the hourslong outage experienced by its U.S. cellphone network was not the result of a cyberattack but rather a technical error. The outage, which affected thousands of users across the country, started early on Thursday and was eventually restored.
AT&T stated that the incident was caused by an error in coding during the expansion of their network. The Dallas-based company, however, did not provide further details regarding the specific nature of the error. The outage tracker, Downdetector, reported around 73,000 incidents of outages, with over 58,000 occurring at noon Eastern Time in locations such as Houston, Atlanta, and Chicago. By 9 p.m. Eastern Time, the number of reports regarding AT&T’s network had decreased to fewer than 1,000.
Cricket Wireless, a subsidiary of AT&T, also experienced outages, with over 9,000 incidents reported at one point. Nevertheless, the reports gradually decreased later in the afternoon. Users of other carriers, including Verizon and T-Mobile, also faced issues. However, both companies assured their customers that their networks were operating normally and that the problems were likely due to customers attempting to connect to AT&T users.
During the outage, some iPhone users noticed SOS messages displayed in the status bar on their devices. According to Apple Support, this message indicates trouble connecting to the cellular provider’s network but allows emergency calls through other carrier networks.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), along with the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, became involved in investigating the incident. John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, confirmed that these agencies had reached out to AT&T. The FBI stated that if any malicious activity is discovered, they will respond accordingly.
The outage also raised concerns among lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Washington Republican who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Ohio Republican Bob Latta, chair of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, issued a statement expressing their intent to assess the disruption and work towards preventing similar incidents in the future.
While the outage caused inconvenience for many users, AT&T’s swift response and commitment to resolving the issue helped restore confidence in their network. As investigations continue, it is crucial for telecommunications companies to prioritize network stability and cybersecurity to ensure uninterrupted and secure communication for their customers.
