IC Realtime CTO Andrew Nassar provides commentary to national media following a widespread Verizon service outage affecting millions of customers.
Verizon Communications resolved a software issue that left millions of customers unable to make calls or send text messages for several hours, and later offered affected users a $20 account credit. The company said the outage was fully resolved after customers restarted their devices.
According to outage-tracking data from Downdetector, Verizon received more than two million reports over a 24-hour period, with significant disruption concentrated in major metropolitan areas including New York City, Atlanta, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Miami. Verizon did not independently confirm those figures.
The outage primarily affected mobile phone services, with users reporting loss of signal, lack of connectivity, and devices displaying “SOS” indicators. Other carriers, including AT&T and T-Mobile, stated their networks were operating normally, though cross-network calling to Verizon customers was impacted.
Public officials responded by renewing calls for stronger consumer protections during prolonged service disruptions. Several lawmakers said they are exploring legislation that would require automatic, prorated refunds when outages prevent customers from accessing paid services.
From a security and infrastructure perspective, Andrew Nassar, Chief Technology Officer at IC Realtime, noted that cellular outages can have broader downstream effects beyond communication.
Nassar explained that connectivity failures can fully disrupt cloud-dependent security systems, including doorbells and cameras, for households that rely exclusively on cellular data for internet access. He pointed to the growing number of fixed wireless customers and cellular-only households as a factor increasing systemic risk during outages.
Law enforcement officials and industry analysts emphasized that while no network can guarantee uninterrupted service, redundancy and resilience are becoming increasingly important as more critical services depend on continuous connectivity.