Quick Answer: Verizon suffered a nationwide network outage on January 14, 2026 that knocked out calling, texting, and data for millions of customers for roughly 10 hours, leaving many phones stuck in “SOS” mode with only emergency-calling capability. Verizon later attributed the outage to a software issue and offered affected customers a $20 account credit (with some business customers reporting credits up to $200 after describing lost revenue). The FCC opened a formal investigation, Congress sent oversight letters demanding briefings, and the House Committee on Homeland Security flagged the incident given that more than 40,000 public safety agencies rely on Verizon’s network. A second, smaller outage was reported on August 12, 2026.
Key Takeaways
- The January 14, 2026 outage lasted about 10 hours and generated more than 2.3 million Downdetector reports, with especially heavy impact in New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle.
- Verizon said the cause was a “software issue” and closed its $20 billion acquisition of Frontier the same week the explanation was given, a timing coincidence that drew additional scrutiny.
- The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau opened a formal docket (PS Docket No. 26-21) seeking public comment on the outage’s effects, with a comment deadline of March 16, 2026.
- The House Committee on Homeland Security sent letters to both Verizon and the FCC demanding a briefing within a week, citing concerns about emergency communications and government operations reliant on the network.
- If you experience a Verizon-confirmed outage lasting more than 24 consecutive hours, standard monthly plan customers can request a bill credit within 180 days of the outage.
What Happened on January 14, 2026
Verizon’s wireless network began failing for customers around midday Eastern time, with users across the country reporting their phones displayed “SOS” instead of normal signal bars — meaning devices could still reach emergency services but couldn’t complete regular calls, texts, or data sessions on Verizon’s own network. Outage tracker Downdetector logged a sharp spike in reports, ultimately exceeding 2.3 million, with the heaviest concentrations in major metro areas including New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle. Verizon publicly acknowledged the disruption that afternoon, saying its “engineers are engaged and are working to identify and solve the issue quickly,” but didn’t specify a cause or expected resolution time in its initial statements.
Service was substantially restored by 10:15 PM ET that same day, after roughly 10 hours of disruption. Verizon apologized directly to customers, writing, “Today, we let many of our customers down and for that, we are truly sorry. They expect more from us,” and committed to providing account credits to affected customers. On January 20, nearly a week later, Verizon confirmed the outage was caused by a “software issue” and said it was conducting a full internal review — though it offered no further technical detail publicly. Notably, Verizon closed its previously pending $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications that same week, after the California Public Utilities Commission became the last regulator to approve the deal.
The Response: Credits, Congress, and the FCC
Verizon offered affected customers a $20 account credit as an initial gesture, describing it as “a way of acknowledging your time and showing that this matters to us.” Some business account holders reported receiving larger credits, up to $200, after describing specific revenue losses tied to the outage to Verizon directly.
The regulatory and political response moved quickly. On January 16, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Andrew Garbarino sent formal letters to both Verizon’s CEO and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, requesting a briefing no later than January 23. The letters noted that Verizon is the largest mobile network in the country, that the outage affected components of the federal government, and that more than 40,000 public safety agencies rely on Verizon’s network for their own communications — raising direct concerns about emergency-service reliability during the blackout. On January 28, the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau formally opened PS Docket No. 26-21, inviting public comment specifically on how the outage affected individual consumers, businesses, and public safety and government entities, including whether people were able to complete 911 calls. The public comment window remained open through March 16, 2026, with submissions accepted at VerizonOutage2026@fcc.gov.
Did 911 Calls Actually Get Through?
This was one of the central questions the FCC’s inquiry set out to answer. In principle, a phone showing “SOS” can still route emergency calls through any available carrier’s network, not just the user’s own. In practice, reporting during the outage included at least one documented instance of a Verizon customer unable to complete a 911 call directly and having to rely on a bystander using a different carrier to get through. The FCC’s public docket specifically asked commenters whether they were able to successfully dial 911 during the outage, underscoring that the “SOS should still work for emergencies” assumption isn’t automatically reliable in every real-world case.
A Second Outage in August
Verizon customers reported a separate round of widespread service problems on August 12, 2026, with more than 2,400 outage reports logged on Downdetector by early afternoon. This second incident was resolved the same day, and Verizon confirmed to reporters that service had been restored, though it was notably smaller in scale and duration than the January event. The recurrence, even at a smaller scale, has kept the network-reliability question alive amid the ongoing congressional and FCC scrutiny from January’s outage.
What to Do If You’re Affected by a Verizon Outage
During any outage, Verizon recommends connecting to Wi-Fi and enabling Wi-Fi Calling, which routes calls and texts over your internet connection rather than the cellular network and can keep you connected even when the wireless network itself is down. If you experience a Verizon-confirmed outage lasting more than 24 consecutive hours, standard monthly plan customers can request a bill credit within 180 days of the outage — check Verizon’s account or support channels for the specific request process. For businesses that can quantify direct revenue loss from an extended outage, documenting that loss and contacting Verizon directly, as some customers did after the January event, appears to have resulted in credits larger than the standard $20 offered to individual accounts.
Related Carrier and Connectivity Guides
If network reliability is a growing concern for your household, our comparison of AT&T vs Verizon vs T-Mobile covers how the major carriers stack up beyond just this incident. If you’re considering an alternative to traditional wireless for home connectivity, our guide to the best rural internet options covers Starlink and T-Mobile Home Internet as alternatives less dependent on a single carrier’s cellular infrastructure. And for a home network that doesn’t depend entirely on your phone’s cellular signal, see our roundup of the best mesh WiFi systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What caused the Verizon outage in January 2026?
Verizon attributed the January 14, 2026 nationwide outage to a “software issue” in a statement issued January 20, though the company has not publicly released more detailed technical findings from its internal review.
How long did the Verizon outage last?
The outage began around midday Eastern time on January 14, 2026, and Verizon confirmed service was substantially restored by 10:15 PM ET that same day — a duration of roughly 10 hours.
Is the FCC investigating the Verizon outage?
Yes. The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau opened a formal docket (PS Docket No. 26-21) on January 28, 2026, seeking public comment on the outage’s effects on consumers, public safety entities, and government operations, with a comment deadline of March 16, 2026.
Did Verizon give customers a refund for the outage?
Verizon offered affected customers a $20 account credit. Some business account holders who documented specific revenue losses reported receiving larger credits, up to $200, after contacting Verizon directly. Customers experiencing a Verizon-confirmed outage lasting more than 24 hours can also request a bill credit within 180 days under Verizon’s standard policy.
Could people call 911 during the Verizon outage?
In principle, phones showing “SOS” can route emergency calls through other carriers’ networks, but reporting during the outage included at least one documented case where a Verizon customer couldn’t complete a 911 call directly and needed help from someone on a different carrier. This is a specific question the FCC’s investigation is examining.
Was there another Verizon outage after January 2026?
Yes. A separate, smaller outage was reported on August 12, 2026, generating more than 2,400 Downdetector reports before being resolved the same day.
Did Congress respond to the Verizon outage?
Yes. On January 16, 2026, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Andrew Garbarino sent letters to both Verizon’s CEO and the FCC chairman requesting a briefing within a week, citing concerns about the reliability of a network relied on by more than 40,000 public safety agencies.
Did the Verizon outage affect the company’s Frontier acquisition?
Not directly, though the timing overlapped: Verizon closed its $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications the same week it attributed the January outage to a software issue, after the California Public Utilities Commission gave final regulatory approval to the deal.