JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Thursday morning nearly 100,000 Americans were unable to use their cellphones to make phone calls and many couldn't even reach emergency services.
More than 70,000 AT&T customers reported cellphone outages but the company reports that all outages were restored shortly after 3pm Thursday afternoon.
Even though service is now restored to those customers, there are other ways to reach emergency services if an outage like this happens again.
According to AT&T's website, their 5G service reaches 290 million people in the United States, but a significant portion of them couldn't use their cellphones Thursday morning. Local law enforcement agencies have multiple options for people who need assistance in situations like this.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said that they tested their dispatch system with multiple types of phones and different providers and did not experience a disruption. JSO said that their 911 lines remain operational and available if someone is in need of assistance. JSO also said that 911 text services also functioned regularly and that residents can use a landline if cell service is disrupted.
Furthermore, JSO also has 6 substations throughout the city of Jacksonville where residents can go in person and speak to an officer regarding police assistance. Here are the addresses for the JSO substations:
District 1
Located at: Gateway Town Center
5258-13 Norwood Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32208
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday - Friday
Phone: 904-630-8144
District 2
Located at: Merrill Crossing
9119 Merrill Road, Jacksonville, FL 32225
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Friday
Phone: 904-630-8166
District 3
Located off of Prominence Parkway
8875 Liberty Ridge Drive, Suite 110, Jacksonville, FL 32256
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Friday
Phone: 904-630-8100
District 4
Located at: Cedar Hills Shopping Center
3726 Blanding Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32210
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Friday
Phone: 904-630-8133
District 5
Located at: Edward Waters University
1767 Kings Road, Jacksonville, FL 32209
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Friday
Phone: 904-470-8900
District 6
Located at: Rutgers Plaza
1680 Dunn Avenue, Suite 39, Jacksonville, FL 32218
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Friday
Phone: 904-630-8688
Thursday morning, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office posted a statement on social media stating:
"Dispatchers are working diligently monitoring RapidSOS, which is an additional resource used to see calls that are attempting to come through 911 and they will attempt to call the number back"
But what caused this mass outage?
One theory is that a solar flare knocked out cell signals. This is a topic that First Coast News meteorologists Lauren Rautenkranz and Robert Speta discussed.
"Basically these solar flares are bursts of radiation that come out from the sun and when it happens it can impact a layer of our atmosphere that impacts things like GPS, radio communication like cellular towers," Rautenkranz said.
However, the Space Weather Prediction Center released the following statement regarding the solar flare theory:
"The Sun emitted two strong solar flares (both R3 on the NOAA Space Weather Scales), the first one peaking at 6:07 p.m. EST on Feb. 21, 2024, and the second peaking at 1:32 a.m. EST on Feb. 22, 2024.
While solar flares can affect communication systems, radar, and the Global Positioning System, based on the intensity of the eruption and associated phenomena, it is highly unlikely that these flares contributed to the widely reported cellular network outages.
NOAA and SWPC will continue to monitor the solar and near-Earth space environment for potential impacts to critical infrastructure and essential services."
During a White House press briefing, assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs John Kirby said that the FBI and Department of Homeland Security are investigating the outage and its causes.