AT&T phone outage: Service restored after users lost cell service

TAMPA, Fla. - UPDATE FROM AT&T:

"We have restored wireless service to all our affected customers.  We sincerely apologize to them.  Keeping our customers connected remains our top priority, and we are taking steps to ensure our customers do not experience this again in the future."

ORIGINAL STORY:

Many AT&T users reported a major cellular outage that started early Thursday morning.

Just after 4:30 a.m. on Thursday, over 30,000 AT&T users reported disruptions to their service, according to Downdetector. As of 8 a.m., over 70,000 users reported outages with the service.

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iPhone showing ‘SOS only’ - what does that mean?

Users said their cell signal wasn't working, and their screen only showed the 'SOS only' tab where it would usually show their cellular connection.

This means the device isn't connected to a network and users can only use their phone to make emergency calls. 

Which areas are most affected?

Outages were reported in many major U.S. cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Tampa, Dallas, and Philadelphia. 

Other networks, including Verizon and T-Mobile, showed outages on Downdetector, but AT&T users reported the most. 

What has AT&T said on the outages? 

AT&T issued the following statement: "Some of our customers are experiencing wireless service interruptions this morning. Our network teams took immediate action and so far three-quarters of our network has been restored. We are working as quickly as possible to restore service to remaining customers."

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Some users said texting still appeared to be working. 

The Highlands County Sheriff's Office reported the national issue may prevent residents from calling 911.