[Outages-discussion] It wasn't just AT&T; every carrier was impacted. Why?

[Andy Ringsmuth]

> On Feb 22, 2024, at 10:41 AM, Chapman, Brad (NBCUniversal) via Outages-discussion <outages-discussion at outages.org> wrote:
> 
> Take a look at this scrolling screenshot the reports from Downdetector: every major carrier had some issue, with reports spiking around the same time.  
> 
> Link: "https://imgur.com/gallery/O3sm3qy"
> 
> Someone commented on this post already about a "SIM Card database issue."
> 
> Is that a credible explanation?  If so, how and why?
> 
> -Brad

DownDetector is mostly garbage. It consists of 100% user-submitted reports.

But the tech illiterate media has no clue, so they take it as gospel and run with it.

If you are a T-Mobile customer and calling your girlfriend or boss or whomever and they are an AT&T customer, and it doesn’t go through, who do you blame? T-Mobile of course. Even though they were not at fault.

Also, how many of those MVNOs actually use AT&T’s infrastructure? Quite a few.

That’s what is going on with the other reports on DownDetector.

Again, repeat after me: DownDetector is not an official source. DownDetector is not an official source. DownDetector is not an official source.


-Andy