A Verizon outage was reported in Mobile, Alabama, not Boston.
Other Network Disruptions
A utility infrastructure failure at Michigan State University disrupted cellular coverage on campus, and Verizon Wireless brought temporary mobile cell towers, known as COWs, to East Lansing, as Hoodline previously reported on the MSU outage.
How Networks Fail Together
Cell towers rely on underlying fiber backhaul lines to carry voice and data traffic back to the wider network. A physical fiber cut can disrupt mobile and fixed internet service, as Hoodline covered when a severed fiber line hit Tipton County, disabling both phone and internet service across that community.
Verizon's infrastructure has drawn scrutiny before.
What Happens to 911 Calls During an Outage
Some phones displayed SOS during an outage.
Carriers also face strict federal reporting obligations when outages like this occur. Updated FCC rules that took effect in April 2025 require wireless and voice providers to notify local public safety answering points within 30 minutes of discovering an outage that could affect 911 call routing, according to HWG LLP. Separately, FCC regulations under 47 CFR Part 4 require carriers to submit an initial outage notification to federal regulators within 120 minutes for any reportable disruption lasting 30 minutes or longer, per the Federal Communications Commission.
Verizon has offered multi-year price guarantees for Fios service.
