Three UK is experiencing a significant disruption, leaving customers across the country unable to make or receive voice calls. The issues began on January 23, 2025, around 1 PM GMT and have prompted nearly 11,000 reports of connection problems, according to Downdetector.
The outage is affecting areas throughout the UK, with Glasgow, Birmingham, Liverpool, Hackney, Islington, Nottingham, Leeds, and London reporting notable issues. Of the reported problems, 83% are related to voice calls, 15% to signal loss, and a minor 2% related to internet access.
Users have flooded social media with their experiences, sharing their frustration about being unable to connect with friends and family. One user from East Dorset reported, "Unable to make or receive calls since around 13:30, outgoing calls not connecting to the network, incoming calls not ringing through." Another user stated, "Not able to make calls, mother having the same issue. Glasgow." These reports paint a picture of widespread frustration among Three’s customer base.
While this major outage seems limited mainly to Three, some users speculate it may be part of broader connectivity issues affecting other networks, including EE, Virgin, and Vodafone, which have seen reports of problems too—although not nearly as severe. One user theorized: "Looks to be more of a major incident or wider UK/Europe issue, probably out the hands of just Three if other providers are also affected." This hints at potentially larger underlying issues within the telecom infrastructure.
Three's official response was swift. They posted on social media: "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 company assured customers they were addressing the matter, though the lack of clarity on the specific scope of the problem has caused additional anxiety among users.
Interestingly, users have also reported problems accessing Three’s customer support tools, with the network status checker itself being down for certain periods during the outage. One user detailed the situation: "I could not access its network status checker and received a timeout message, indicating potential overload due to increased user inquiries about the network status." A reassurance from Three indicated they were facing technical issues with their service updates, adding confusion to the customer experience.
The problems reported this time have led to echoes of previous outages, drawing attention to Three UK’s track record. The last extensive outage occurred nearly one year ago, resulting in over 12,000 reports at its peak. This moment, many believe, highlights the network's vulnerability, especially as telecoms continue to modernize their infrastructure. There had been another significant outage before this, with over 20,000 users affected back in December 2023.
Some commentators are speculating whether this outage may be connected to impending corporate changes, particularly the recent announcement of the proposed merger between Vodafone and Three, which aims to create a new telecommunications giant valued at £15 billion. While no direct link has been confirmed between the merger discussions and the current service issues, such corporate endeavors often bring about restructuring and technical updates, which can inadvertently disrupt services. One industry expert noted, "We wouldn’t speculate at this point whether the issue is linked with works following the announcement of the merger."
For those whose calls are interrupted, the situation is frustrating, as mobile phone networks like Three typically do not offer compensation during service interruptions of this nature. Formal complaints can be made through customer service channels, but with the current call issues, this could present additional challenges for users attempting to connect.
The company’s previous commitment to user experience will be put to the test, as they aim to restore normal service at the earliest. Meanwhile, users left without service are actively venting on various platforms, demonstrating significant public interest and frustration surrounding the matter.
Three UK has yet to provide updates beyond their generic statements about the outage, leading to rising impatience and concern among customers eager for resolution. This current issue serves as a reminder of the fragile nature of telecom services and their impact on daily communications. The provider must navigate not only the technical aspects of the outage but also the growing call for transparency and reliability from its customer base.