Verizon customers report widespread outages, with mobile phones limited to SOS mode
Verizon customers across the U.S. reported problems accessing the company’s wireless network, with some reporting Monday morning that their phones were limited to SOS service.
As of 10:15 a.m. ET, more than 70,000 reports of Verizon outages had been logged with DownDetector, a site that tracks service outages for telecommunications providers, websites and other businesses.
Outages were reported from New York to Los Angeles, with the main complaint linked to lack of service on customers’ mobile phones.
“SOS in Ohio since mid-morning. Was working on my drive into work, but went down several hours ago and hasn’t come back,” one user wrote on DownDetector.
In a statement emailed to CBS MoneyWatch, Verizon said it is aware of the issue.
“We are aware of an issue impacting service for some customers,” a spokesperson said. “Our engineers are engaged and we are working quickly to identify and solve the issue.”
What is SOS mode?
Mobile phones will sometimes switch to SOS mode when they’re having trouble connecting to a wireless network. As the name suggests, SOS mode means the phone can still make emergency calls, such as 911, by connecting to other carriers, according to Apple.
–This is a developing story and will be updated.
