AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless have all confirmed recent international outages affecting customers. The issue began early on Wednesday, June 26 and continued for many customers throughout Thursday. During this time, customers reported no international cell phone service despite having paid for connectivity while traveling abroad.
While the root cause of the issue is still unknown, each of the companies has released statements confirming the issue.
International Roaming Outages Affect U.S. Customers Traveling Abroad
Customers with each of The Big Three cell phone service providers (AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon) have reported international roaming outages over the past few days. Posts on X and Reddit revealed that many customers were away from their hotels in foreign countries when they realized they no longer had service. Many people were left without a way to contact their peers, book a rideshare service or use navigation apps to get around.
Unfortunately, companies did not release a statement right away. Many customers tried to contact customer service, which led to increased call volume and slower customer service. When customers reached a representative, they were often still left without answers.
The international roaming outage affected U.S. customers in multiple countries all over the world. At the moment, it’s unclear whether the issue is completely resolved. However, several customers have reported that the issue seems to be fixed.
We don’t know if the root cause of the issue has been addressed or if international services will experience another outage. However, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless have each officially made statements addressing the issue.
Company Statements Regarding International Roaming Outages
When customers traveling internationally first noticed the service outage, customer service representatives at each of The Big Three cell phone service providers weren’t able to do much more than pass the information along. Now, each of the companies has publicly addressed the problem.
“The AT&T network is operating normally. Some customers traveling internationally may be experiencing service disruptions due to an issue outside the AT&T network. We’re working with one of our roaming connectivity providers to resolve the issue.”
AT&T
“We’re one of several providers impacted by a third-party vendor’s issue that is intermittently affecting some international roaming service. We’re working to resolve it.”
T-Mobile
“Some customers traveling internationally are experiencing service issues. Phone calls and data sessions are successfully completing about 70 percent of the time. Our teams are actively working with our roaming provider to resolve the issue.”
Verizon Wireless
Syniverse is the third-party vendor/roaming connectivity provider working with these companies to resolve the issue. Syniverse also released a statement regarding the international roaming outages:
“Starting on the morning of June 26th, we became aware of an intermittent service disruption affecting North American mobile phone users traveling overseas. For some users, this issue prevented them from being able to make calls, send messages, or access mobile applications while roaming,” said Syniverse. “Please know that we are working around the clock to resolve this issue… to identify and rectify the root cause of the disruption.”
While many customers have reported international service is working again, the service providers have not yet released the root cause of the problem.
Moving Forward: How To Stay Connected While Traveling Abroad
While some phone plans include international features, many require customers to pay for international add-ons to use their phone abroad. That means that many customers affected by recent outages paid extra to ensure they would stay connected.
At the moment, it isn’t clear whether or not companies will be offering any compensation to customers affected by the recent international outages.
If you do find yourself without service while traveling, there are a couple of ways that you can still stay connected.
- Connect to Wi-Fi. If you can, get to an airport, hotel, restaurant or any public place that offers free Wi-Fi. Once you’re connected to Wi-Fi, you can likely place calls (if your phone plan includes Wi-Fi calling) and access navigation apps. You can also use Wi-Fi to access social media and contact peers.
- Buy a local SIM or eSIM. For long-term connectivity in a foreign country, I recommend buying a local SIM or eSIM for your phone. Your phone must be unlocked in order for this to work. You can usually find local phone plans for sale at airports and convenience stores. Typically, these local phone plans are significantly cheaper than paying for international data from your primary U.S.-based cell phone service provider anyway.
Have you been affected by the recent international roaming outages? Tell us about your experience in our Clark.com Community.
