Verizon's infrastructure is facing disruptions that affect phone calls and mobile internet access. Numerous Verizon subscribers have posted on X about their devices displaying 'SOS' instead of signal strength indicators, and the carrier's official status website faced loading difficulties, probably overwhelmed by traffic from affected individuals.
From observations by Engadget team members who use Verizon, the disruptions primarily involve voice calls and cellular data. However, SMS messages seem to arrive without problems for certain subscribers. Data from DownDetector indicates that complaints about Verizon service failures began increasing shortly after noon Eastern Time, reaching a high of more than 100,000 submissions.
The monitoring site also recorded surges in problems reported for rival carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile, though these were far less extensive compared to Verizon's situation. To illustrate, Verizon saw a maximum of 181,769 incidents, whereas AT&T only had 1,769. This significant gap suggests that some AT&T complaints might stem from attempts to reach Verizon users, leading people to mistakenly blame their own provider.
Verizon addressed the matter via a message from its news handle on X. 'We recognize a problem affecting mobile voice and data functions for certain subscribers,' the statement read. 'Our technical staff is actively involved in diagnosing and resolving the matter as swiftly as possible. We recognize the value of dependable connections and regret any disruption caused.'
According to DownDetector's visualization of complaint locations, the Verizon troubles are mostly centered in key urban areas along the East Coast. The densest clusters of reports originate from Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C., with emerging concentrations also visible in Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
By 2:14 p.m. ET, Verizon announced on X that its technical personnel were 'continuing full efforts' to resolve the disruption. No details were provided on the expected resolution time or the scale of affected users. Complaint volumes on DownDetector have declined from their 12:43 p.m. ET maximum, yet thousands of subscribers continue to experience service failures.
As of 3:09 p.m. ET, Verizon had not released further details regarding the restoration of its mobile infrastructure. A few users on X mentioned regaining cellular access, though it remains uncertain whether this signals a complete resolution of the underlying technical faults.
At 4:06 p.m. ET, almost two hours after the prior communication, one Engadget contributor confirmed their connection had returned. Nevertheless, service interruptions persist for many Verizon users. DownDetector logged more than 55,000 failure reports as late as 3:47 p.m. ET.
Verizon updated at 4:12 p.m. ET, stating that efforts to mitigate the disruption are ongoing, but the problem is not yet fully addressed. The carrier noted that its personnel are 'present and diligently addressing the current service disruption impacting select customers.'
By 4:52 p.m. ET, the Verizon system had been unstable for approximately four hours, rendering this incident almost as prolonged as the carrier's previous significant failure earlier in 2024. Similar to that event, Verizon has not disclosed the specific reason behind the current network malfunctions. In the absence of an official explanation, it seems the team is still pursuing a solution.
At 5:41 p.m. ET, DownDetector's most recent count indicated over 46,000 individuals reporting Verizon network difficulties. The site's mapping tool reveals that the primary reporting areas remain the same urban centers, although the distribution of complaints has become broader nationwide as awareness of the event increases.
The status at 6:20 p.m. ET showed little change. Thousands of users, including Engadget staff, continued without reliable connectivity, and Verizon had not communicated with subscribers since 4:12 p.m. ET. Occasional accounts describe brief service recoveries followed by renewed failures, but no comprehensive repair appears to have been implemented.
T-Mobile and AT&T both verified that their infrastructures remain operational without interference from the rival's challenges. T-Mobile posted on X that its system is 'functioning as usual and meeting expectations.' AT&T, in turn, advised its subscribers facing difficulties that 'the problem lies elsewhere, not with our network.'
Update, January 14, 7:25 p.m. ET: This piece started as an ongoing report and received several revisions across about seven hours. Each addition included a time marker. At the time of this note, Verizon service remains unavailable for tens of thousands of users, and the support division has gone more than three hours without providing fresh information on the matter. Happy Wednesday!