Verizon’s network outage after Hurricane Helene highlights carrier vulnerabilities

The news: Over 100,000 Verizon customers reported mass outages across the US on Monday, with internet and cellular service disconnections continuing into Tuesday. This is the latest widespread network outage in a year of slowing carrier investments.

Users from California, Illinois, Minnesota, and other states reported problems at outage tracking website Downdetector, indicating that the problem wasn’t isolated to specific areas or a direct result of Hurricane Helene. 

  • Customers complained that their phones were showing “SOS” mode, which renders devices unable to send or receive texts or calls beyond those to emergency services.