Vodafone network blackout hits hundreds of thousands of UK customers

Vodafone has suffered a significant network outage, disrupting services for hundreds of thousands of users across the United Kingdom. Mobile, broadband, and landline customers found themselves without signal after issues began around 2.50pm on Monday, with over 130000 complaints recorded by Downdetector, a platform monitoring network disruption.

The company confirmed a major technical fault impacting its 4G and 5G services. The Telegraph understands the blackout is linked to a technical glitch rather than a cyber attack. Alongside mobile and broadband connectivity issues, Vodafone UK and VodafoneThree websites remained inaccessible, although the parent company’s global website continued to operate normally.

Customers using networks that piggyback on Vodafone’s technology, such as Voxi, Asda Mobile, Talkmobile and Lebara Mobile, reported similar outages, compounding the impact. The timing of this disruption is particularly inconvenient for Vodafone, as it comes just months after it completed a high profile £15 billion merger with rival Three UK, forming the UK’s largest mobile operator with 28 million customers.

Since merging, Vodafone and Three have boasted of “two networks are better than one,” promising improved speeds and enhanced coverage for millions. They also pledged to invest £11 billion to boost mobile infrastructure in the UK following a regulatory investigation. Millions of customers across both brands can now use either network automatically. Now, the widespread service interruption undermines these claims and poses a reputational challenge for the newly-formed entity.

Industry specialists suggest the disruption may be tied to a technical problem with Vodafone’s internet domain, which can block access to digital services and halt connectivity for devices. Internet monitoring group NetBlocks recorded a dramatic drop in Vodafone-related web traffic on Monday afternoon, effectively signalling a national blackout. Security experts at Crowdstrike commented that Vodafone had “dropped off the internet” during the outage.

Vodafone’s share price dipped 0.6 percent on Monday, reflecting investor unease. A spokesperson reaffirmed the company’s commitment to resolving the situation swiftly, acknowledging the frustration felt by customers. With the cause still under investigation and restoration efforts underway, Vodafone faces a crucial test of customer trust and operational resilience.