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.
Affected travelers, mostly in Europe, posted on social media seeking answers about what caused the disruption 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 Türkiye.
An AT&T spokeswoman said the carrier’s network was operating normally, but some customers traveling internationally may be experiencing service disruptions 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-Mobil representative said the operator was one of “several providers affected by a third-party provider issue that is intermittently affecting some international roaming service” and 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 yesterday that his T-Mobil cell phone data was not working. For about 24 hours, he said, he was unable to communicate with the people he had made plans with, although 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.
All major US carriers offer some version of an all-inclusive international data plan that allows travelers to use their phones as they would in the United States.
Although the current outage appears to be easing, travelers affected by these outages have other options to connect. Changing a physical SIM card (for phones that still have it) can allow you to connect to a local network (they are usually offered in prepaid or pay-as-you-go packages). For newer phones, apps like Airalo offer relatively inexpensive e-SIM card packages in many international destinations. And of course, you can always search for a secure Wi-Fi network.
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