Verizon outage caused by software update, company offers impacted customers $20

( Post Millennial )

A significant Verizon Wireless outage that left millions of customers without service on Wednesday was reportedly caused by a software update. The nationwide outage lasted for roughly 10 hours, hitting East Coast customers the hardest. Customers reported their phones displaying "SOS" mode instead of regular signal bars, rendering them unable to connect to the network. More than 2.3 million reports were issued between 11 am and 11 pm EST.

Verizon acknowledged the issue on social media and its official channels, stating that engineers were working urgently to identify and resolve the problem. The issue was resolved later in the evening.

A Verizon spokesman told The Wall Street Journal that the root cause was tied to a software update. The company emphasized there were no indications of a cybersecurity breach or external attack. The company committed to a full internal review.

The disruption raised public safety concerns, prompting emergency alert systems in cities like New York and Washington, D.C., to warn residents that 911 calls might be affected on Verizon devices. Officials recommended using landlines, other carriers' phones, or in-person reporting at police or fire stations during the outage. Features like Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite were suggested as alternatives for compatible iPhones (models 14 and newer). Certain devices appeared more visibly impacted, including Apple iPhone 14 and newer, as well as some Android devices.

In response to the widespread frustration, Verizon announced it would provide a $20 account credit to affected customers as a gesture of acknowledgment. The company stated: "Yesterday, we did not meet the standard of excellence our customers expect and that we expect of ourselves. This credit isn't meant to make up for what happened. No credit really can. But it's a way of acknowledging our customers' time and showing that this matters to us."

Customers can claim the credit by logging into the myVerizon app. Business accounts will be contacted directly, the company said.