Final month, Verizon sparked a social media firestorm after a significant community outage left tens of millions of its clients with out service for about 10 hours. Whereas the outage threatened buyer loyalty, Verizon now faces a brand new problem as it really works to rebuild its popularity.
In the course of the Jan. 14 outage, many Verizon clients took to social media, threatening to modify carriers. Their telephones had been put into SOS-only mode when the corporate’s community went down throughout states resembling Texas, Georgia, New York, and California.
That is the very last thing Verizon wanted, as it’s already seeing elevated churn in its wi-fi enterprise amid buyer backlash over value will increase final 12 months. A current survey from WhistleOut even discovered that on account of excessive cellphone plan pricing, Verizon dangers shedding 84.7 million clients.
As Verizon struggled to rapidly repair the outage, it apologized to clients on social media platform X (previously Twitter), vowing to “make this right” for these affected.
“Today, we let many of our customers down and for that, we are truly sorry,” mentioned Verizon within the publish. “They expect more from us.”
Shortly after the outage was resolved, Verizon rolled out a $20 credit score to affected clients and reportedly raised it for some who requested the credit score by means of customer support.
“This credit isn’t meant to make up for what happened,” mentioned Verizon in an announcement on its web site. “No credit really can. But it’s a way of acknowledging our customers’ time and showing that this matters to us.”
Verizon’s community outage final month affected tens of millions, prompting a brand new investigation.
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Verizon outage sparks FCC probe
In a separate assertion, Verizon blamed the outage on a software program concern and mentioned that it was “conducting a full review of what happened.”
Nonetheless, the Federal Communications Fee’s Security and Homeland Safety Bureau is now launching its personal investigation and is asking Verizon clients for assist.
In a current public be aware, the FCC mentioned it’s inviting Verizon clients to “provide all relevant information concerning the effects of the outage, particularly on 911 calling and public safety.”
“We seek comment from the public on the outage’s impact on individual and enterprise consumers,” mentioned the FCC within the public be aware.
The FCC is investigating what number of clients had been capable of make calls and texts through the outage. It additionally desires to know the way lengthy every buyer was with out community connectivity and the influence on companies and suppliers of essential companies, resembling hospitals.
Associated: Verizon CEO shifts gears after 2.25 million clients depart
The FCC can be trying into whether or not any hurt or damage resulted from a buyer’s lack of ability to achieve 911 through the outage. It’s also in search of details about how Verizon dealt with the outage and if the cellphone service’s communication about it was “appropriate, timely, and effective.”
Verizon clients can submit their tales on their outage expertise to VerizonOutage2026@fcc.gov. Prospects have till March 16, 2026, to submit a remark.
Extra Telecom Information:
- T-Cell drops 2 new cellphone plans to cease clients from fleeing
- Verizon CEO shifts gears after 2.25 million clients depart
- AT&T closes billion-dollar acquisition to win again clients
In an announcement to TheStreet, RTMNexus CEO Dominick Miserandino mentioned the FCC is trying past Verizon’s apology for the outage and the account credit that had been issued to clients; it’s solely in search of to determine systemic failures.
“The FCC isn’t investigating Verizon’s apology,” mentioned Miserandino. “It’s investigating whether a ‘most reliable network’ failed in a way that points to systemic issues. Credits fix customer sentiment in the short term; transparency and resilience protect trust in the long term.”
Verizon falls behind rivals as CEO targets buyer loyalty
The Verizon outage and the ensuing FCC investigation come at a essential time for the corporate. It’s at present doubling down on buyer retention below new CEO Dan Schulman, after the corporate misplaced 2.25 million postpaid cellphone clients over three years, a loss he claims is because of value will increase and competitors.
“There’s no question that Verizon is at a critical inflection point, and there is no doubt that we must radically shift our culture towards the goal of delighting our customers and building a brand that stands for trust so that we can deliver for our shareholders,” mentioned Schulman earnings name on Jan. 30.
This shift comes as Verizon is falling behind main rivals in client satisfaction, a current J.D. Energy survey discovered.
Wi-fi service satisfaction charges:
- On common, the wi-fi service satisfaction rating for postpaid plans below conventional carriers is 603 (on a 1,000-point scale).
- T-Cell ranks the No. 1 within the section with a 631 satisfaction rating.
- Verizon lands in second place with a satisfaction rating of 593.
- AT&T falls behind Verizon with a 587 rating.
- MVNOs, nonetheless, have a median satisfaction rating of 630, with Shopper Mobile and Google Fi Wi-fi having scores of 721 and 685, respectively.
Supply: J.D. Energy
“Attracting customers with network quality and pricing is just the first step,” mentioned Carl Lepper, senior director of know-how, media and telecom at J.D. Energy, in a press launch. “True loyalty comes from how easy it is for customers to work with a carrier once they’re in the system, especially when it comes to resolving issues, managing bills and getting answers quickly.
“These experiences drive advocacy and long-term retention,” he continued. “When interactions are effortless, it shows in low churn and high satisfaction. For wireless carriers, the best strategy is simple: take care of the customers they already have.”
Associated: T-Cell drops 2 new cellphone plans to cease clients from fleeing
