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Three, iD Mobile and SMARTY down across UK, with users unable to make or recieve calls

Some customers remain unable to make or receive calls after a major phone network went down.

Three, iD Mobile and SMARTY all reported issues yesterday and say disruption may continue due to Storm Éowyn.

Customers who use Three and iD Mobile have reported issues with receiving and making calls. Stock image
Customers who use Three and iD Mobile have reported issues with receiving and making calls. Stock image

At the time, more than 10,000 people reported problems with their phones on Downdetector.

The online platform provides users with real-time information about the status of various websites and services.

It is understood that the network systems went down just after 1pm yesterday (January 23).

On X, Three UK posted an update at 2.47pm. It said: “We're aware of an issue affecting a small percentage of voice services, our team are working hard to fix this as soon as possible.

“We're really sorry for any inconvenience caused. Data services and 999 calls are unaffected, please bear with us.”

The network providers have acknowledged the problem and are working to fix it. Stock image
The network providers have acknowledged the problem and are working to fix it. Stock image

However, the company posted around nine hours later, confirming that there were reports of customers unable to connect to emergency services.

This has been met with frustration and backlash online from users.

@MchaleKristian said: “How can you class a nationwide shutdown as a small percentage of voice calls? My personnel and business phone has been down for nearly two hours.”

@MMpeep added: “It's always a ‘small’ percentage or number, the reality is it's widespread. Are you going to offer compensation for the downtime and any associated costs incurred?”

Uswitch mobile expert, Simrat Sharma, says the reported outages will be “incredibly frustrating” for customers.

She commented: “As SMARTY and iD Mobile also use Three’s network, it’s likely customers on these networks may be experiencing issues with their service too.

“Mobile networks are needed to reach essential and emergency services, so it’s important that customers are reconnected as soon as possible – and kept up to date.

“Three has let customers know that it is currently working on a fix. It has also said mobile data connections are working, so customers can use their data to make calls.

“The quickest way to check if the internet is down in your area is by searching your mobile provider on a site like Downdetector.

“You can report an issue with your network and check if other people using your provider’s network are reporting an issue, too. Three also has a network coverage status page that provides updates.

Storm Eowyn could cause an additional impact on the service, says Three UK. Picture: Met Office
Storm Eowyn could cause an additional impact on the service, says Three UK. Picture: Met Office

“Ofcom advises that compensation for mobile signal outages is ‘dependent on the circumstances’, however in extreme cases where repairs take much longer you may be entitled to an additional refund or account credit.

“If you’re experiencing regular issues, don’t hesitate to contact your provider to see if they can help.”

At 8.44am today, the phone company posted another update on the situation.

It said: “Following an issue affecting voice calls yesterday, services have almost returned to normal overnight.

“We continue to investigate the small number of reports we received about 999 call failures.”

“Our monitoring has picked up an issue with calls connected via WiFI which we’re investigating urgently. Today, we also expect to see an additional impact on our service due to Storm Éowyn in some areas.

“We’ve deployed extra engineering resources and planning for these areas, so we can bring sites that are impacted back online as soon as it’s safe to do so.

“A normal volume of 999 calls were connected yesterday and monitoring confirms the service is working fully this morning.

“We continue to investigate the small number of reports we received about 999 call failures. We apologise sincerely for the inconvenience caused by the issues on our voice network.”

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