Many U.S. travelers lost a crucial tool for checking maps, making reservations, using ride-hailing apps and more due to a mobile data outage that began affecting AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon users on Wednesday.
The affected travelers, mostly in Europe, posted on social media, looking for answers about what caused the outage and how long it would last. Some reported being unable to make phone calls, send text messages or use online services without Wi-Fi for up to 24 hours. It is unclear what caused the outage, which appeared to stretch from Britain to Turkey.
An AT&T spokeswoman said the company's network was operating normally, but some customers traveling abroad may be experiencing service interruptions due to an issue outside of AT&T's network. The company said it was working with one of its roaming connectivity providers to resolve the issue.
Verizon told some of its customers on social media that it was also aware of the issue and that its teams were working with local providers to resolve it.
A T-Mobile representative said the carrier was one of “several carriers affected by a third-party vendor issue that is intermittently affecting some international roaming services” and that it was also working to resolve it.
George Lagos, a 70-year-old real estate developer from Dunedin, Florida, who is visiting the Greek island of Crete with his family, noticed Wednesday that his T-Mobile cellphone data was down. For about 24 hours, he said, he was unable to reach the people he had made plans with, though fortunately they had already gone over the details together.
“You know it's an inconvenience, but it wasn't a disaster,” said Lagos, whose service appeared to be restored Thursday night. “I didn't miss any flights. “I didn’t have a taxi looking for me or anything.”
But there was a more serious concern: His wife's mother was sick and Mr. Lagos' wife was unable to contact the person who was helping to care for her.
“That was probably the worst,” Lagos said.
Major U.S. phone companies offer some version of an all-inclusive international data plan that allows travelers to use their phones the same way they would in the United States.
Although the current outage appears to be easing, travelers affected by such outages have other options for getting online. Swapping out a physical SIM card (for phones that still have one) can allow you to connect to a local network. (These usually come in prepaid or pay-as-you-go packages.) For newer phones, apps like Air it They offer relatively cheap e-SIM card packages in many international destinations. And of course, you can always look for a secure Wi-Fi network.
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