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U.S. mobile carriers AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile experienced an outage that impacted travelers in Europe. Many vacationers lost access to essential phone features like data, calls, and texts.
Social media buzzed with frustrated travelers from Britain to Turkey, unable to connect for up to 24 hours. The cause of the outage remains unclear, but it seems to be related to a problem with a third-party vendor used for international roaming.
Carriers acknowledged the issue:
- AT&T claims their network is functioning normally, but some international customers might face disruptions due to an external issue. They are working with a roaming partner to fix it.
- Verizon notified customers on social media that their teams are working with local providers to resolve the problem.
- T-Mobile confirmed they are also affected by the third-party vendor issue and are working on a solution.
Travelers faced inconvenience and some worry:
- George Lagos, a tourist in Greece, couldn’t reach planned contacts for a day but luckily reconnected before any major issues arose.
- More concerning, Mr. Lagos’ wife couldn’t contact their caretaker due to the outage, highlighting the potential impact on critical communications.
Alternative connection options exist:
- For phones with removable SIM cards, switching to a local SIM (available in prepaid plans) can restore service.
- Newer phones can use apps like Airalo to purchase affordable eSIM data plans for various destinations.
- Public Wi-Fi networks can also be used when available.
The outage seems to be improving, but these tips offer helpful solutions for travelers facing similar issues in the future.
Related media – Linked media
