Tens of thousands of cell phone users across the US have reported mobile service outages on Thursday morning.

Downdetector.com, which tracks outages, showed reports indicating no service or no signal after 04:00 EST (09:00 GMT).

AT&T, the largest mobile service provider, confirmed to the BBC's US partner CBS News that its customers were experiencing interruptions.

Other carriers including Verizon and T-Mobile told the BBC that their networks were operating as normal.

But both carriers claimed customers were likely logging issues after making unsuccessful attempts to contact users of another provider.

AT&T customer complaints peaked at just over 74,000, with hotspots in the south and east, Downdetector shows.

"We are working urgently to restore service to them," Jim Greer, assistant vice president of the company's corporate communications, told CBS. "We encourage the use of Wi-Fi calling until service is restored."

AT&T has been responding to individual complaints online for several hours but has not yet explained the cause of the network problems.

A few thousand customers with Cricket Wireless, UScellular and Consumer Cellular are also reporting issues.

Users have said their phones are displaying the SOS message, leaving them unable to make calls or access services.

The complaints comprise issues with calls, texts and internet access, with most reports indicating no service or no signal.

Downdetector's heatmap shows major population centres including Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta are among those facing the highest number of outages.

Some have also reported experiencing difficulties with 911 service, with officials advising the use of a landline, social media or a cell phone with a different carrier in the event of an emergency.

Source:
courtesy of BBC NEWS

by James FitzGerald and Sam Cabral | BBC News, London and Washington

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