Mobile network provider Three has faced significant backlash after customers reported being unable to make 999 emergency calls during a widespread outage.
The company has apologised for the disruption, which left over 10,000 users reporting issues to the outage tracker Downdetector on Thursday. Initially, Three assured the BBC that customers could still make 999 calls despite the outage. However, some members of the public have told the BBC their emergency calls were unable to connect. These claims have not yet been independently verified by the BBC.
In a previous statement to the BBC, Three acknowledged: “We’re aware of an issue affecting a small percentage of voice services. Our team is working hard to fix this as soon as possible. We’re really sorry for any inconvenience caused.”
The firm also stated that mobile data services and 999 calls remained operational during the outage, though multiple users have contradicted this, reporting that neither service was functional. The outage has also impacted customers of smaller networks like Smarty and ID Mobile, which rely on Three’s infrastructure.
Three’s support team has informed affected customers that there is no set timeline for a resolution but assured them the issue is being addressed urgently. According to its website, Three serves approximately 10.5 million customers in the UK, though it remains unclear how many have been impacted by the disruption.
The outage has sparked frustration on social media, with users sharing stories of the disruption caused. One customer said they missed a medical appointment because they could not receive calls, while another claimed their daughter was left stranded due to the network issues. Some users have indicated they intend to switch providers.
The regulator Ofcom confirmed it is aware of the problem, stating: “We are in contact with Three to establish the scale and cause of the issue as soon as possible.”
It remains unclear whether affected customers will be entitled to compensation. According to Ofcom’s guidelines, providers may offer refunds or compensation during repair periods, though this is not guaranteed.
This outage comes just a month after UK regulators approved a £16.5 billion merger between Three and its former rival Vodafone. It also coincides with a major outage affecting the popular artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT on the same day. Photo by Stratford490, Wikimedia commons.