T-Mobile US attributes widespread network disruptions to severe weather affecting multiple regions of the country, with customers in Texas particularly hard hit.
DownDetector reported a significant surge in problem reports yesterday, which eased for a time before rising again in recent hours.
According to the outage reports, the largest share—about 53%—concerned loss of mobile data. Another 28% of reports described problems making calls, while 18% indicated a complete lack of signal.
T-Mobile’s Chief Technology Officer, Neville Ray, confirmed the disruptions on Twitter, noting the outages followed severe weather across several areas and emphasizing that teams are working to restore service.
We’re experiencing network issues following severe weather in several areas of the country and especially across Texas. Our teams are working hard to restore service. Stay tuned, stay safe and thank you for your patience.
— Neville Ray (@NevilleRay) February 15, 2021
Ray’s update aligns with reports indicating that Texas customers are experiencing the most severe connectivity problems.
A deadly winter storm has disrupted life across much of the South and central United States. Texas has suffered some of the worst impacts: record-low temperatures and a spike in energy demand have left more than 4.1 million residents without power as the state’s electric grid struggled to meet demand.
T-Mobile’s support teams on Twitter have been responding to a high volume of customer inquiries as outages and associated service problems continue.
T-Mobile recommends several steps for affected customers:
- If you have home broadband and power but lack mobile service, enable Wi‑Fi calling. Wi‑Fi calling lets T‑Mobile and Sprint customers with compatible devices make and receive voice calls and texts over any capable Wi‑Fi network. Important: If you must call 911 via Wi‑Fi calling, provide your address to the operator, as location reporting may be limited.
- If your mobile service is still working, minimize call duration and avoid nonessential calls. Shorter calls help reduce network load so more people can get through.
- Use text messages instead of voice calls when possible. Texts are more likely to get through during network congestion.
During power outages and service interruptions, people naturally rely on mobile devices for emergency help and entertainment. The combination of extreme weather and increased demand appears to be straining T‑Mobile’s network in the affected areas.
(Image Credit: Dan Koeck/AP Images for T‑Mobile)
If you want to hear industry experts discuss connectivity, 5G, IoT, AI, blockchain, and cybersecurity topics, consider attending related industry expos and conferences held in major tech hubs.