Three UK Faces Nationwide Outage Leaving Customers Unable to Make Calls

United Kingdom – A nationwide outage of the Three UK mobile network has left many customers unable to make or receive calls as of Wednesday morning, June 25. The mobile operator confirmed the issues, stating there was “an issue affecting voice services,” but specifics on user impact remain unclear.

Reports of the outage began around 7:45 a.m. BST, escalating sharply by 9:30 a.m. as over 9,000 issues were logged on DownDetector. The network’s data services, including 4G and 5G, are reported to be functioning normally, allowing users to access the internet and communicate via third-party apps like WhatsApp.

Three UK, which recently completed a merger with Vodafone, creating the UK’s largest mobile network, indicated that the incident is also affecting several mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) that utilize Three’s infrastructure, including ID Mobile and Smarty. ID Mobile’s service status page noted that its technical teams are collaborating with Three to resolve the issue.

Frustrated customers took to social media, some reporting missed calls from medical services due to the outage. Three urged users to utilize internet-based messaging services for communication in the meantime, yet many individuals still expressed concerns about accessibility to essential services.

As the situation developed, Three posted updates, emphasizing they are investigating the issue. An apology was issued from the network for the disruption, stating, “We understand how disruptive this has been for our customers and sincerely apologise for today’s inconvenience.” However, the timeline for a complete resolution remains unannounced.

This outage follows a similar incident in January where voice services were severely disrupted, raising concerns among customers about reliability. As of late evening, Three stated that voice and SMS services were returning to near-normal levels, but many users continued to express dissatisfaction, claiming that their service remained interrupted.

With the circumstances of the outage impacting both personal and professional communications, customers are now seeking compensation. Three has guidance available on its website for users wishing to submit complaints or claim compensation as outlined by Ofcom, stating that if the matter is unresolved after eight weeks, users can escalate claims through alternative dispute resolution schemes.