Tech journalist Kurt Knutsson responds to multiple agencies investigating the AT&T phone outages in Claman Countdown.
AT&T CEO John Stankey shared a letter sent to employees Sunday after the company's wireless network went down Thursday, affecting tens of thousands of Americans.
The hour-long outage of AT&T's network on Thursday led to about 73,000 outage reports on Downdetector, a website that tracks internet and mobile network outages.
“Thursday was a challenging day for our company,” Stankey wrote. “Our goal is to connect people to greater opportunity, and we have fallen short of what we normally do so well every day.”
“Our initial investigation into the cause of the outage on Thursday determined that it was due to the application and execution of an incorrect process when expanding our network. We're investing billions to expand our network and deliver an even more exceptional customer experience. This is “It is both a point of pride and a challenge that always requires care and concentration,” he explained.
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AT&T CEO John Stankey said the outage was a challenging situation for the company and thanked employees for their work to restore operations. (Photographer: Scotty Perry/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Stankey wrote that the outage began early Thursday and that about three-quarters of AT&T's customers were able to access the network at the start of their days around 5 a.m. CT.
He explained that the company prioritized restoring FirstNet service to ensure first responders would get their network access back online, and that remaining customers were reconnected later that morning and the network returned to normal around noon CT.
“No matter the timing, one thing is clear – we have failed many of our customers, including many of you and your families. For this we apologize,” AT&T’s CEO wrote.
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AT&T said an initial investigation determined the outage was caused by a mistake in the rollout of its network. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images / Getty Images)
“For the portion of our residential and small business customers most impacted by the outage, we are automatically issuing an account credit to compensate them for the inconvenience caused,” Stankey added. “Prepaid customers have options available if they were affected. We are also working closely with our mid-market and enterprise customers and will address their concerns as part of these discussions.”
He explained that “outages sometimes have an outsized impact on some subscribers, potentially greater than the face value of the balance. For that reason, I believe it is right to essentially credit these customers with a full day of service.”
Stankey thanked the AT&T teams and frontline employees who took action and worked together to restore service to customers.
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Some iPhone users reported that their phones were stuck in SOS mode during the AT&T outage. (Photo illustration by Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)
AT&T's initial investigation found the outage was due to “an incorrect process in expanding our network.” Stankey wrote that AT&T is investing billions to expand its network and improve its customer experience, a process that is “both a point of pride and a challenge that always requires care and focus.”
“Moments like these are a test of our resilience. This is not our first network outage and it will not be our last – unfortunately, it is the reality of our business. What matters most is how we respond, adapt and improve to deliver the service our customers need and expect,” Stankey explained.
“Every AT&T customer deserves a connectivity experience they can rely on, and that’s exactly what we will deliver. While it is not unexpected to encounter challenges as we improve and expand our network, we have processes and redundancies in place for a reason.” We owe it to our customers and ourselves to do better, and I know each and every one of you is committed to that goal.”
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“These challenges provide an opportunity to identify key lessons that will make us better, and I can tell you that we have already implemented changes to prevent what happened on Thursday,” Stankey wrote.
He added that he was optimistic about AT&T's future given its growth, resiliency and customer experience plans, writing: “We have North America's largest wireless network and the largest and fastest-growing fiber optic network in the country. No company is better suited to meet this need for more comprehensive connectivity than AT&T.