USA (Washington Insider Magazine)—New York Attorney General Letitia James has launched an investigation into AT&T’s nationwide outage on February 22, which disrupted service for over 71,000 customers. The outage left users unable to make calls, send texts, or access the internet for up to 12 hours, including the inability to call emergency services like 911.
A Critical Concern for Consumers
“Nationwide outages are not just an inconvenience; they can be dangerous,” said James in a statement. “It’s critical that we protect consumers when such disruptions occur.” She urged affected New Yorkers to report their experiences to her office.
Outage Details and Response
The service disruption, which occurred in the morning, was resolved by the afternoon. AT&T attributed the issue to a process error and clarified that it was not caused by a cyberattack.
In response to the incident, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has also opened an investigation. Days after the outage, AT&T announced it would provide a $5 credit to affected accounts, acknowledging the frustration caused.
“We recognize the impact this outage had on our customers, particularly small business owners and those needing to stay connected with loved ones,” the company stated.
Protecting Public Safety
The blackout highlighted the critical role of reliable communication services, as disruptions to emergency calls can have life-threatening consequences.
The investigation aims to ensure accountability and explore measures to prevent future incidents.
