Customers say Three mobile outage preventing 999 calls

Users of the UK mobile network operator Three have reported to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that they are unable to make 999 emergency calls due to a severe network outage. The company has publicly apologized after more than ten thousand users reported being unable to make or receive calls to the fault-tracking website Downdetector. The public has told the BBC that devices using the Three network cannot connect to 999 emergency calls, but the BBC has not been able to independently verify these claims.

Three told the BBC that they are "urgently investigating the matter" and added that data from emergency services indicates that "most" 999 calls are being "connected through other networks." Additionally, users of other smaller mobile companies that use the Three network, Smarty and ID Mobile, have also reported thousands of similar issues. Three's support team informed customers that they have "no timescale for a fix," but that the company is "working to resolve this as soon as possible."

Three stated in a release that the company is "aware of a significant number of reports that customers are unable to connect to 999 calls." They said they are "taking this matter extremely seriously, and are urgently investigating, and apologise to anyone who has been unable to contact the emergency services." The company also stated in an update that "data from the emergency services shows that the normal volume of 999 calls through our network is connecting." They advised customers: "While it is likely your call will connect to 999 correctly, if you have any concerns, please try an alternative network or a landline. Please do not try and test a 999 call from your device as it may prevent a genuine call from being answered quickly."

Previously, Three had stated that people could still use mobile data services and make 999 calls during the outage, but many people told the BBC that this was not the case. Three states on its website that it has around 10.5 million customers in the UK, but it is currently unclear how many people have been affected by the outage. Many people have shared their frustration with the outage on social media, describing the inconvenience they say it has caused. Some have claimed to have "missed medical appointments" because they could not receive calls, while others said the issue had resulted in their daughter being "stranded." Still others have indicated they will be leaving the network entirely.

The regulator Ofcom stated in a release: "We are aware of issues with Three’s network. We are in contact with Three to establish the scale and cause of the problem as a matter of urgency." It is currently unclear whether customers can claim compensation for the outage, but according to the Ofcom website, providers "may be appropriate" to offer refunds during "periods of repair." This incident comes a month after UK regulators approved a £16.5 billion merger between Three and former competitor Vodafone. Concurrently, the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT also experienced a major outage on the same day.