Verizon experienced a widespread mobile outage on Jan. 14 that disrupted cellular and data service for about 1.5 million customers. Service was restored by roughly 10 p.m. ET, about 10 hours after problems began. Verizon attributes the disruption to a software issue, is conducting a full review, and will issue a $20 credit to affected customers. Similar outages have occurred in recent years and can stem from software glitches, server failures, infrastructure damage, or cyberattacks.
What Caused Verizon’s Massive Outage? What We Know After the Jan. 14 Disruption
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Verizon's mobile network suffered a widespread outage on Jan. 14 that left roughly 1.5 million customers with interrupted cellular and data service. The carrier says service was fully restored by about 10 p.m. ET, roughly 10 hours after some users first reported their phones showing SOS-only connectivity.
What Happened
Outage tracker Downdetector recorded more than 1.5 million reports of Verizon wireless and data interruptions on Jan. 14, making this one of the largest interruptions to the carrier's service in recent memory. Verizon posted an apology and acknowledged that many customers were affected.
Today, we let many of our customers down and for that, we are truly sorry.
Cause and Ongoing Review
A Verizon spokesperson told USA TODAY the outage was tied to a software issue and that the company is conducting a full review of what happened. Verizon has not published a detailed technical postmortem yet and says it is investigating the incident.
Compensation and Customer Guidance
On Jan. 15 Verizon announced it will issue a $20 credit to customers who were impacted. The credit will be redeemable in the myVerizon app, and customers will receive a text message when the credit becomes available. Verizon said the credit is intended as a gesture of acknowledgement rather than full recompense for the disruption.
If you experienced lingering issues, check the myVerizon app and account notifications, restart your device, toggle airplane mode, and contact Verizon support for help. If you rely on cellular service for urgent needs, consider temporarily switching to Wi-Fi calling or alternative carriers until the company confirms the issue is fully resolved.
Why Outages Like This Happen
Verizon defines a mobile network outage as an unexpected disruption that prevents service to many cell sites at the same time. Large-scale outages can be caused by software glitches, server failures, physical infrastructure damage, misconfigurations, or cyberattacks, according to industry statements from other carriers and experts.
Context and History
Large carriers periodically experience service interruptions of varying scope. For context, Verizon reported a software-related outage affecting roughly 11,000 customers in August 2025. A more significant outage in September 2024 affected more than 100,000 people and drew attention from regulators, including the Federal Communications Commission.
Verizon is continuing its internal review. Customers who were affected should monitor the myVerizon app for the announced credit and reach out to Verizon support if they still experience service problems.
Contributors: Jonathan Limehouse, Mike Snider & James Powel, USA TODAY. Reported by Melina Khan. This story was updated with additional information and originally appeared on USA TODAY.
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