AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) has addressed a software glitch that resulted in a wireless service disruption for some users on Tuesday.
What Happened: The issue began around 5 p.m. ET and peaked at 7 p.m. ET, as tracked by Downdetector. By 10 p.m. ET, the number of reported issues had significantly decreased.
The outage impacted several cities, including Dallas, Charlotte, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, and New York City. However, it was not nationwide.
Government entities across the country reported that the outage might have affected the ability of some customers to call 911. Cities like Pinole, California, and North Little Rock, Arkansas, confirmed the issue but later reported that service had been restored.
AT&T experiencing a network service outage impacting the ability to deliver wireless 9 1 1 calls. Due to this service outage, some AT&T Mobility callers may have issues calling 911. Outage is specific to AT&T Mobility. Landlines as well as other wireless carriers not affected. pic.twitter.com/9ssvoVUxr2
— Pinole PD (@PinolePD) August 28, 2024
The City of NLR received notification advising AT&T Mobility is experiencing a network service outage impacting the ability to deliver AT&T Mobility wireless 911 calls in our area. Those subscribers in NLR having issues calling 911 should call 501-340-5446. pic.twitter.com/HcSzkefUIG
— City of NLR (@cityofnlr) August 28, 2024
"We've resolved a software issue that disrupted the ability of a limited number of our customers to connect to our wireless network," an AT&T spokesperson told CNN on Wednesday. "We apologize for the inconvenience, and we appreciate our customers' patience as we work to resolve this issue."
Why It Matters The timing of this outage is particularly significant given AT&T's recent financial performance and market activities. In late July, AT&T reported its second-quarter results, balancing growth and profitability, according to analysts.
The company added 997,000 wireless customers in the second quarter, although it slightly missed revenue estimates.
AT&T remains a popular choice among dividend investors, given its high yield. In early August, analysts recommended buying AT&T shares for their attractive dividend yield.
Price Action: AT&T's stock closed at $19.65 on Tuesday, down 0.56% for the day. In pre-market trading, the stock dipped slightly 0.25%. Year to date, AT&T's stock has gained 13.91%, according to data from Benzinga Pro.