Charlotte, N.C. A widespread Verizon network outage on Wednesday disrupted cell phone service for tens of thousands of customers nationwide. It temporarily hindered some 911 calls in Charlotte, according to police and emergency officials.
The outage, which began around midday on January 14, 2026, left many Verizon users’ phones showing “SOS” or “no service,” cutting off normal voice, data, and text functionality. Major cities across the U.S., including New York City, Washington D.C., Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, also reported service interruptions at the height of the disruption.
Verizon customers in Charlotte and nationwide don’t have service amid a widespread outage affecting voice and data services, multiple news outlets reported Wednesday. The nation’s largest wireless carrier experienced a crippling outage that left thousands of customers without cell service or in “SOS” mode, signaling no connection.
“We understand the impact this has on your day and remain committed to resolving this as quickly as possible,” Verizon said in an update posted to X, If you need to call 911, please keep trying, use a landline, or ask a neighbor to call. You can also visit a fire station or police station for help,” police said in a statement posted to X.
According to Apple Support, an SOS or “SOS only” status means you’re not connected to a cellular network. However, you can still make emergency calls through other networks.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and local emergency management urged residents experiencing trouble reaching 911 to keep trying, use a landline, ask a neighbor with a different carrier to call on their behalf, or visit the nearest police or fire station if immediate help is needed. Officials also stressed that residents should not call 911 just to test their phones or to report the outage.
Verizon acknowledged the outage in posts on social media, saying engineering teams were working to identify and address the issue as quickly as possible. The company later confirmed that service was largely restored by late Wednesday night, and encouraged customers still having trouble to restart their devices to reconnect to the network. Verizon also said it plans to issue account credits to users affected by the outage.
