NEW YORK, Jan 16, 2026, 05:18 (EST)
- Verizon is offering a $20 account credit after a 10-hour wireless outage that knocked out calls, texts and mobile internet
- The FCC said it will review the disruption, which triggered emergency-call advisories in some major cities
- Rivals said their networks were operating normally, though some customers struggled to reach Verizon users
Verizon Communications is offering a $20 account credit to hundreds of thousands of customers after a 10-hour wireless outage disrupted calls, texting and mobile internet in parts of the United States, including the Northeast, Southern California and Texas. The Federal Communications Commission said it would review the disruption, which Verizon attributed to a software issue and said was not a cyberattack. (Reuters)
The outage landed at a bad time for mobile internet, which has become the default connection for everything from ride-hailing to two-factor logins. When it drops, it is not just streaming that suffers — it can hit payments, work tools and basic safety.
Wireless carriers have spent years selling speed and coverage, but reliability is the part customers notice only when it fails. A long outage raises awkward questions about backup paths, software changes and how quickly a network can recover once a fault spreads.
In an update posted on its website, Verizon said affected customers will get a $20 credit that can be accepted through the myVerizon app, and customers will receive a text message when the credit is available. Verizon urged customers still having issues to restart their devices to reconnect. (Verizon)
Verizon subscribers complained the outage limited their ability to use their phones, including making calls and completing online transactions that require a wireless connection, CBS News reported. A Verizon spokesperson described the cause as a “software issue” and said the company was conducting a full review of what happened. (CBS News)
Rivals used the moment to underline competitive pressure in a market dominated by Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. T-Mobile Chief Technology Officer John Saw wrote on LinkedIn that customers “may have trouble reaching” users on Verizon’s network while “T-Mobile’s network is operating as expected,” Light Reading reported. (Light Reading)
The outage prompted several major cities to advise residents to use other carriers to contact emergency services, and Downdetector logged 2.2 million reports tied to the disruption over 24 hours. FCC Chair Brendan Carr said the agency would review the issue and “take appropriate action,” while Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez said she would ask the agency to investigate, a Reuters report said. (Reuters)
But key details remain unclear, including what part of Verizon’s network triggered the failure and whether the same conditions could surface again. If regulators push for deeper disclosure — or if customers see more disruptions — the $20 credit may not be the end of the story.
Modern mobile internet runs on layers of software as carriers shift more network functions into cloud-style systems. That can make it easier to roll out features fast, but it also means a bad update or a misfiring tool can break service at scale.
For users, the practical test is simple: whether calls and mobile data stay stable and whether emergency access works when it matters. Verizon says the outage has been resolved; now it has to keep it that way.
