On Thursday, telecommunications provider AT&T experienced a massive, nationwide service interruption that lasted almost 12 hours.
Thankfully, it didn't seem to be a cyber attack, just network errors, but in the age of cell phones and constant connectivity, many people were very unhappy.
So AT&T is trying to make things better.
Emphasis on 'trying.'
AT&T will give $5 to customers hit by cellphone network outage https://t.co/QJI8nYMknW
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 26, 2024
AT&T says it will give affected customers $5 each to compensate for last week’s cellphone network outage that left many without service for hours.
The Dallas-based company said on its website that customers will get the $5 credit on their account within two billing cycles. The credit does not apply to AT&T Business, prepaid service or Cricket, its low-cost wireless service. AT&T said prepaid customers will have options available to them if they were impacted, although it did not elaborate on what those options might be.
The outage knocked out cellphone service for thousands of its users across the U.S. starting early Thursday before it was restored. AT&T blamed the incident on an error in coding, without elaborating, and said it was not the result of a cyberattack.
Some Twitter/X users were not impressed at the offering:
The service itself isn't worth that.
— WarMonitor 🇺🇲🇺🇦 (@TheWarMonitor) February 26, 2024
This writer has AT&T for cell and internet service. It's not inexpensive, and $5 seems a little on the cheap side.
Recommended
Five dollars? In today’s economy, that doesn’t even cover the cost of a cup of coffee. What ever happened to a month of free service to compensate customers for fundamental failures on the part of service providers?
— The Greatest (@pointsweekly) February 26, 2024
That's never going to happen again. Not in this economy.
😠Unbelievable.
— The Shop On 13th Street (@Shop13th) February 26, 2024
So insulting.
A lot of people felt this way.
$5 lmao are they joking
— Yumi (@liberty_dao) February 26, 2024
No, they're not.
nice don’t have to pay 1/40th of my phone bill this month 😎
— josh (32-26) (@okayjoshlol) February 26, 2024
There's the silver lining.
I mean LOL jeez. https://t.co/Mh8h5aELXN
— Shane B. Murphy (@shanermurph) February 26, 2024
Jeez is about right.
Wow. Only $5?!? Big ass billion dollar corporation only giving people a $5 credit. https://t.co/a0Gcz3mE3O pic.twitter.com/eD4BKUBW5l
— Omar (@omartsunami13) February 26, 2024
The optics of this are so bad.
Others decided to have some fun with it:
Eating good tonight
— Dylan Cross (@theDylanCross) February 26, 2024
You can get like half a Big Mac for that price.
Five dollars… pic.twitter.com/k38FtF7mi3
— Rustin Richtarik 🖖 ® (@dieseldog97) February 26, 2024
That's from 'Trading Places' for those of you that don't get the joke.
Me when the $5 drops. https://t.co/fXDme6C45z pic.twitter.com/huWNvbtCLS
— G (@stevensongs) February 26, 2024
Laughed out loud.
OMG!! https://t.co/nfdbQYmg2v pic.twitter.com/I84VwptRFA
— Slightly Venomous Kirk (@jamusp) February 26, 2024
It's like a golden ticket.
https://t.co/VXwLvTZW5d pic.twitter.com/SdnGYs5wKH
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) February 26, 2024
Another great reference.
We up baby!!! https://t.co/8uJdo7Sq4i pic.twitter.com/MJSjcnt1FN
— Vipin Sethi (@VIPsethi) February 26, 2024
Just don't spend it all in one place.
"Here's five whole dollars, buddy! Go buy some candy, champ." https://t.co/WayOmjP4b9 pic.twitter.com/LeyNqNpsUL
— @persephinae.bsky.social (@persephinae) February 26, 2024
Yay.
https://t.co/SE6uwgvngB pic.twitter.com/owsx8iKWcw
— BWNOLES (@bwnoles) February 26, 2024
This gif cracks us up.
AT&T says they will give $5 in credit to customers who were affected by the recent cellphone network outage 📱 pic.twitter.com/pVAOIDthRY
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) February 26, 2024
The news is spreading on Twitter/X like wildfire.
Waiting on the news "AT&T to its customers said there was a transfer fee."
— shadow759 (@shadow7591) February 26, 2024
Customers: https://t.co/evOVVEECdH pic.twitter.com/zlHUYhEr5t
Remember, it's a credit on accounts, so you don't even get $5 to spend on anything but your AT$T bill.
I was a caveman that whole morning and I’m only getting $5? https://t.co/B27iM2ImsK pic.twitter.com/erC27YJ7Ts
— Christian De Los Santos (@chrissdeloo) February 26, 2024
It was like an episode of 'Little House on the Prairie' around here.
Maybe the outcry will get AT&T to change its mind. Don't hold your breath, though.
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