Verizon Outage Hits Some Belleville Residents, Others Report No Issues

BELLEVILLE, NJ — A major Verizon outage impacted customers across New Jersey on Wednesday, including in Belleville.

Verizon said the issue impacted wireless voice and data services for some customers. Verizon announced that the issue has been resolved at 10:20 p.m.

"If customers are still having an issue, we encourage them to restart their devices to reconnect to the network," the company said. "For those affected, we will provide account credits."

Some users reported having no network bars. People with iPhones saw the bars replaced with “SOS” – meaning their device isn't connected to a network, but they can still make emergency calls.

According to Downdetector, a website that collects user-submitted reports of outages, the Garden State has a high concentration of customers impacted by the Verizon outage. Other areas where significant outages were reported include New York City, Philadelphia, Miami and Atlanta.

Verizon’s executive leadership and corporate functions are located in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.

>> READ MORE: Major Verizon Outage Ongoing In NJ

Belleville Town Councilman Frank Vélez posted a message about the outage on social media, reporting that it was impacting people in the township – including himself. Some local residents chimed in, sharing their own accounts of tech issues. Others reported that they weren’t having any problems.

As seen online:

• “I regain and then lose signal over and over again”
• “I have internet but I can’t text or use my phone.”
• “Me too since 1 p.m. today no service”
• “I got lucky mine is working fine.”
• “Me too but yet my husband has the exact same phone and his is fine. I don’t get it.”
• “Thank God I have T-Mobile!”
• “I'm in Newark 5 minutes away from Belleville. I have no issues.”
• “I’m still showing SOS”
• “I'm in Belleville and I had no problem.”

Verizon has been giving several updates on the situation. The latest include:

• “We are aware of an issue impacting wireless voice and data services for some customers. Our engineers are engaged and are working to identify and solve the issue quickly. We understand how important reliable connectivity is and apologize for the inconvenience.”
• “Verizon engineering teams are continuing to address today's service interruptions. Our teams remain fully deployed and are focused on the issue. We understand the impact this has on your day and remain committed to resolving this as quickly as possible.”
• “Verizon's team is on the ground actively working to fix today’s service issue that is impacting some customers. We know this is a huge inconvenience, and our top priority is to get you back online and connected as fast as possible. We appreciate your patience while we work to resolve this issue.”

Government sources across New Jersey have been reporting issues with Verizon service in their towns. They include:

Verona Police Department - "Verizon is experiencing a nationwide service outage. Some customers may be unable to make calls, including 911. Those who can't reach 911 should ask a neighbor for help, use a landline, or go to the nearest police or fire station."

Bergen County Office of Emergency Management – “A Verizon phone outage is impacting New Jersey at this time with approximately 200,000 users with no or limited service. Many users are recieving ‘SOS’ on their phone. Verizon is aware and working on a repair.”

Hoboken Public Safety Department – “The City of Hoboken and the Hoboken Public Safety Department are aware of the ongoing Verizon outage impacting services nationwide. While HPD's 9-1-1 system operates on Verizon, it is NOT currently impacted by this outage and IS working. However, as a precaution, residents are encouraged to utilize the HPD's non-emergency number, 201-420-2100, versus 9-1-1, if possible, until the outage is resolved.”

Town of Westfield Police Department – “The Westfield Police Department is aware of a Verizon outage that is affecting 9-1-1 centers around the country. Our 9-1-1 center is one of over 6,000 9-1-1 centers currently affected. Verizon technicians are working to resolve the issue. If you’re unable to reach us via 9-1-1, please contact our main number of 908-789-4000, option 0.”

Borough of Madison – “The Borough is aware of the ongoing, widespread Verizon outage. Please note that this is not impacting 9-1-1 Emergency Calls.”

Bayonne Office of Emergency Management – “The City is aware of a nationwide Verizon Wireless outage that may affect some users attempting to call 911. Verizon is actively working to resolve the issue. If you have an emergency and cannot connect using a Verizon device, please call from another carrier’s phone, use a landline, or report the emergency in person at a police precinct or fire station. For updates, please monitor your wireless carrier’s website or official social media channels.”

Flemington Borough Office Of Emergency Management – “Residents in the Flemington area and broader New Jersey region have posted about experiencing loss of service or limited connectivity. If you rely on Verizon for phone calls, texts, or data, you may encounter issues right now. Remain patient — Verizon engineers are actively working to identify and fix the issue. If possible, switch to Wi-Fi calling or messaging, or use alternate communication apps that work on Wi-Fi. For emergencies, always use 911 or local emergency services — not mobile text or data apps.”

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