Verizon Grants $20 Credit to Customers Hit by Wireless Outage
Verizon Communications announced its plans to provide a $20 credit to customers affected by a significant wireless outage. The outage occurred on January 14, lasted for approximately 10 hours, and was attributed to a software issue.
Details of the Outage
The disruption primarily impacted users in the Northeast, Southern California, Texas, and some areas of the Midwest. Verizon confirmed that the situation was not the result of a cyberattack. The service interruption was resolved around 10 p.m. EST.
Customer Impact and Response
According to Downdetector, over 2.2 million reports related to the outage were logged in a 24-hour period. Major cities, including New York City and Washington, D.C., advised residents to seek alternate methods for emergency calls during the outage.
- Call using a device from another carrier.
- Utilize a landline.
- Visit a local police or fire station for emergencies.
New York City officials highlighted that the service disruption could hinder users attempting to call 911. The warnings were later lifted when normal operations resumed.
Regulatory Oversight
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced plans to review the outage and assess any necessary actions. FCC Chair Brendan Carr stated that the agency would take appropriate measures in response to the incident.
Credits for Affected Customers
In response to the service failure, Verizon expressed their commitment to customer satisfaction, stating, “We did not meet the standard of excellence our customers expect.” The company encouraged customers to restart their devices if they continued to experience issues.
Verizon previously faced a similar nationwide outage in late 2024, which affected over 100,000 users. That incident drew considerable attention from the FCC, particularly due to multiple services being disrupted and users encountering problems with their devices showing “SOS” mode.
By offering a $20 account credit, Verizon aims to alleviate some of the inconvenience caused to its customers during this recent outage.
