What we know about the nationwide cell outage that impacted thousands
Thousands of customers, mostly with AT&T, were hit with a cell outage.
AT&T says it will be giving a $5 credit to customers affected in last week’s nationwide telecommunication outage.
The outage, which lasted several hours on Thursday Feb. 22, was caused by a technical error due to “the application and execution of an incorrect process used as we were expanding our network, not a cyberattack,” the telecom provider said Friday.
AT&T said late Saturday it planned to give affected accounts credit for the outage.
“We apologize and recognize the frustration this outage has caused and know we let many of our customers down. To help make it right, we’re applying a credit to potentially impacted accounts to help reassure our customers of our commitment to reliably connect them – anytime and anywhere,” AT&T said in a statement to USA TODAY.
The company posted a similar comment on X, formerly Twitter.
The notice was met with mixed responses. “A single $5 credit per account with multiple phones is an insult. You failed here @ATTNEWS,” one person posted on X.
“THANK YOU,” posted another. And one more posted: “We appreciate you. No worries it happens to the best of us.”
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How do I get $5 credit from AT&T for the network outage?
AT&T offers more details about the “Making It Right” process on the AT&T website and continued the apology to customers.
“We understand this may have impacted their ability to connect with family, friends, and others. Small business owners may have been impacted, potentially disrupting an essential way they connect with customers,” the company says.
“To help make it right, we’re reaching out to potentially impacted customers and we’re automatically applying a credit to their accounts,” the company says. “We want to reassure our customers of our commitment to reliably connect them – anytime and anywhere. We’re crediting them for the average cost of a full day of service.”
The amount credited will be $5 per AT&T Wireless account. The offer does not apply to AT&T Business, AT&T Prepaid or Cricket, the company said. Bill credits will typically be applied within 2 billing cycles, AT&T said.
“We’re also taking steps to prevent this from happening again in the future. Our priority is to continuously improve and be sure our customers stay connected,” the company says on the site.
AT&T’s ‘make it right’ is good for business, experts say
Experts have expected AT&T to offer some credit to affected customers because to not do so would be bad for business. The “nominal credit” might not “amount to a whole lot, but I think it would do good by consumers,” Jonathan Schwantes, senior policy counsel at Consumer Reports, told USA TODAY on Thursday.
If you are a AT&T customer, it might be better to be proactive than waiting for the company to credit you. One subscriber told USA TODAY she logged onto her account online on Thursday and clicked “Contact Us,” and a representative gave her a $52.50 credit.
She wondered whether those who didn’t act as quickly might not get as much of a rebate. “”Never hurts to ask,” she posted on X.
AT&T did not comment on the customer’s credit.
Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.
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Jessica Roberts is a seasoned business writer who deciphers the intricacies of the corporate world. With a focus on finance and entrepreneurship, she provides readers with valuable insights into market trends, startup innovations, and economic developments.
