Tens of thousands of Three mobile customers in the United Kingdom are facing connectivity issues as a widespread outage has left users unable to make calls, send texts, or access mobile internet. The disruption has been reported by over 20,000 people on Friday afternoon, according to Downdetector, impacting a significant portion of Three’s user base, which boasts more than 10 million customers across the UK.
The outage, which began with isolated reports in the morning, escalated substantially by the afternoon, causing frustration among users who took to social media to express their concerns. Some customers of smaller providers, relying on Three’s network infrastructure, have also reported service disruptions. One such provider, Smarty, received approximately 3,000 reports of issues, adding to the scale of the problem.
Three, a major mobile network operator, issued an apology for the widespread outages, acknowledging the inconvenience faced by its customers. The company’s website indicates that it remains unclear how many users are affected, as those relying on mobile internet may find it challenging to report the problem.
This incident marks the second significant technology outage within a week in the UK, following HSBC’s recent mobile app and online banking disruptions on Black Friday. Users have reported a variety of issues, including difficulties with 4G and 5G connectivity, along with some experiencing “no signal” and a “total blackout” on Smarty, an operator functioning on the Three network.
As customers grapple with the impact of the outage, questions arise about potential compensation. Regulator Ofcom suggests that it “may be appropriate” for providers to offer refunds during service disruptions. The situation unfolds against the backdrop of ongoing developments in the telecommunications sector, with Vodafone pursuing a merger with Three’s UK operations in a deal valued at £15 billion, expected to conclude by the end of 2024.
