Verizon customers across several major U.S. cities lost wireless voice and data service late Wednesday morning, triggering a surge of outage reports that topped 180,000 within an hour.
At a Glance
- Reports surged around 11 a.m. CT and peaked near 11:40 a.m. CT
- More than 180,000 DownDetector alerts logged in under 60 minutes
- Verizon confirmed engineers are “working to identify and solve the issue quickly”
- Why it matters: The sudden blackout disrupted calls, texts, and data for uncounted users in multiple metro areas during peak business hours
The spike began shortly before noon Eastern. According to DownDetector, complaints jumped from baseline levels to more than 180,000 by 12:40 p.m. ET, a climb that started around 12 p.m. ET.
Verizon acknowledged the problem on X: “We are aware of an issue impacting wireless voice and data services for some customers. Our engineers are engaged and are working to identify and solve the issue quickly. We understand how important reliable connectivity is and apologize for the inconvenience.”
The company did not estimate how long repairs would take or specify which cities were hardest hit. Customers in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and Atlanta reported blank signal bars, failed calls, and stalled data sessions, but Verizon’s statement gave no regional breakdown.
Outage Timeline
| Time (CT) | Reports to DownDetector | Key Event |
|---|---|---|
| 11:00 a.m. | Baseline | First noticeable spike appears |
| 11:40 a.m. | >180,000 | Peak volume recorded |
| After 12 p.m. | Still elevated | Verizon posts public acknowledgment |
Sources told News Of Losangeles the internal response teams were mobilized within minutes of the alarm, but no root-cause details were released.
Wireless carriers classify voice and data failures as “Level-1” incidents when they exceed regional thresholds. While Verizon has not applied that label publicly, the speed of the complaint influx met the technical definition used inside the telecom industry, according to records reviewed by Sophia A. Reynolds.
The outage struck as workers returned from the New Year break and schools reopened, intensifying public frustration on social media. Screenshots of failed speed tests and dropped Zoom calls circulated under hashtags that combined “Verizon” and “outage,” pushing the topic into national trending lists on X.
News Of Losangeles‘s investigation found no evidence of a cyberattack cited in any official channel. Verizon’s statement limited its language to “an issue,” and federal agencies have not issued advisories tying the event to malicious activity.
Customer care lines remained open, but agents could offer only the same apology posted online. “We have no ETA yet,” one representative said in a recorded call shared with News Of Losangeles. “Engineering is diagnosing.”
Service Impact Summary
- Voice: Calls failing to connect or dropping mid-conversation
- Data: LTE and 5G icons present but throughput near zero
- Text: Intermittent delivery delays reported
- Wi-Fi Calling: Functioned normally when users had home broadband
Verizon operates more than 120 million retail connections, making even localized disruptions felt nationwide. The carrier’s last widespread outage of similar scale occurred in February 2023, when a routing error blocked 911 calls in parts of the Southeast.
Markets showed little reaction; Verizon shares dipped less than 0.5% in afternoon trading, recovering within minutes. Investors have grown accustomed to transient network hiccups that rarely affect quarterly earnings unless they trigger regulatory fines.
Federal Communications Commission rules require carriers to file detailed reports within 24 hours when outages interrupt 911 service or exceed 30 minutes and 900,000 user-minutes. Verizon has not confirmed whether this incident crossed those thresholds.
For now, users in affected areas are advised to rely on Wi-Fi for data needs and to reboot devices once the all-clear is given. Verizon promised updates “as soon as we have more information,” but no follow-up post had appeared by early evening.
Key Takeaways
- A sudden Verizon network fault silenced voice and data for thousands starting near 11 a.m. CT.
- DownDetector logged 180,000-plus reports in under an hour, one of the fastest climbs on record for the carrier.
- Verizon engineers remain engaged, yet no restoration timeline or technical cause has been released.
- The disruption underscores how quickly single-carrier outages ripple through daily life when remote work and school depend on constant connectivity.
Check back for more on this developing story.
