Three UK has finally fixed its huge voice calling outage, which lasted for over 17 hours starting from around 1pm GMT on January 23. But the network has warned that there are still some residual issues caused by Storm Éowyn.
The outage, which also affected related networks like Smarty and ID Mobile, were first reported on Downdetector at around 1.05pm GMT on January 23. Thousands of Three customers across the UK reported issues on Downdetector, which some revealing that they couldn't even make 999 calls.
But the network has now released a statement that "services have returned to normal overnight" and that it has "deployed extra engineering resources and planning" for the areas also hit by Storm Éowyn-related problems.
We're still continuing to monitor some reports on social media and Downdetector who are still experiencing issues, but fortunately the network appears to be back for the majority. Here's everything that happened along with the latest advice on how to complain and raise a potential case for compensation...
The latest news
- Three UK released a statement at 8.10am GMT saying that "services have returned to normal overnight"
- However it added that "we expect to see an additional impact on our service due to Storm Éowyn in some areas"
- Reports of the voice calling outage started at around 1.05pm GMT on January 23
- Three UK added that "we continue to investigate the small number of reports that we received about 999 call failures"
The story so far
It's still early days for this latest Three UK outage, but Downdetector reports are continuing to spike. In the 45 minutes since the reports started at around 1.05pm, the number has almost hit the 6,500 mark – a fairly sizable number.
Most people (77%) are reporting issues with voice calls, with a minority also stating that they have no signal. On the TechRadar team, some members on Three's spectrum (like ID Mobile) say they have signal but are unable to make phone calls.
Three UK responds
We're aware some customers are having issues with calls at the moment. We're working on resolving this as quickly as we can! We're sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. -JohnJanuary 23, 2025
The @ThreeUKSupport account on X (formerly) Twitter is responding to frustrated customers with fairly generic responses, like the one above.
The network has acknowledged that there are issues for "some customers" but hasn't yet confirmed what's causing them. Like on Downdetector, most are reporting that phone calls are the main issue, with internet data and texts proving less of a problem.
We've also contacted Three directly to see if we can get a more detailed explanation of what's happening and when it might be resolved.
What to do
If you're having issues with your Three UK signal, it's highly likely to be due to the outage that's now affecting thousands of customers – but Three has some advice on other things you can try.
At its coverage and network status checker you can click the 'network status' tab, enter your postcode and see if there's an outage in your area. Three also recommends turning airplane mode on and then off, turning your device off then on, and also double-checking that your mobile data is switched on.
It also says to update your phone's software if needed – however, the network has confirmed that there is a technical problem that's particularly affecting calls, so it will likely be a case of waiting for its engineers to fix that.
Other Three networks also hit
Three UK's problems are naturally also hitting its related networks, or so-called MVNOs (Mobile Virtual network Operators). I'm on Smarty and can't currently make phone calls, though mobile internet is fine – issues have also been reported on iD Mobile on the TechRadar team.
Unfortunately, even Three's network status checker is down, so I wasn't able to check if my issues are definitely due to the outage – but given the widespread problems (with reports on Downdetector now crossing the 10,000 mark), that seems almost certain.
A statement from Three UK
We contacted Three UK earlier and have just had this statement back from a spokesperson.
“We are aware of an issue affecting a small percentage of voice services and are working hard to fix it. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused. Data services and 999 calls are unaffected, please bear with us".
So it's confirmed that the main problems are with Three's voice services, rather than mobile data or texts. Three says the issues are affecting a "small percentage" of voice services, but the number of reports on Downdetector continues to grow – the number now stands at almost 11,000.
A repeat of last year
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.January 23, 2025
This latest Three UK outage (confirmed in the above post on X) is now almost on the level of its last major one in February 2024.
Those problems, which also affected its customer services, saw over 12,000 people report network problems on Downdetector. At the time of writing, the reports have almost hit the 11,000 mark on the outage service.
Fortunately, today's outage does only seem to be affecting Three UK's voice services rather than the whole network, although that's still frustrating – particularly if your business phones run on the network. We'll update this page as soon as we know more.
Signs of progress?
It won't be much of balm to those who are continuing to experience no voice calls (that includes me, on the Smarty network), but the number of Three UK reports on Downdetector is dropping – which is usually a good sign.
At the time of writing, those reports have dropped below the 9,000 mark. During last year's outage, that drop continued to plummet as the network recovered – let's hope that's the case again here.
Other UK networks affected?
Well, this really would be a story – according to Downdetector, all the other major UK phone networks including EE, O2, Vodafone have seen a spike in reports of issues this afternoon.
These are, though, highly likely to be related to Three UK's problems. The number of reports on other networks is comparatively tiny (between 100-200 reports, compared to the 11,000+ on Three), so the likely explanation is people on other networks being unable to contact their Three friends.
It might have been a small comfort for Three customers to know that they aren't alone, but I'm afraid it's just us guys (again)...
Where are the problems?
The answer according to social media and Downdetector is... pretty much everywhere. The map above shows the highest concentration of Three UK reports on Downdetector, which naturally congregate in urban areas – with London, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow showing the biggest spikes.
But the smaller hotspots and anecdotal evidence on the likes of X (formerly Twitter) show that this is a UK-wide issue for Three UK. And just as we saw the spike in reports drop, it's gone up again – let's hope that reverses soon, as it's now three hours since the voice calling problems started.
Still no news about a fix
At the moment we don't have a timeframe, but we're working hard to resolve this as soon as possible. -JohnJanuary 23, 2025
The Three UK outage has been going for over three hours now (starting at around 1.05pm GMT), but a fix may not be imminent it seems.
In some responses on X (formerly Twitter), the Three UK Support account has stated "at the moment we don't have a timeframe" for a resolution to the problems, which are mainly affecting phone calls.
I've asked Three UK directly for an update and will report back as soon as I hear anything. As a Smarty customer, I'm still unable to make phone calls – and the spikes in reports on Downdetector are continuing to rise for both Smarty and iD Mobile.
Let's hope the engineers work out a fix soon before the January darkness makes some poor Three UK customers feel a bit more marooned...
Can you get compensation?
The length of this Three UK outage means that many people who've been looking to make or receive important phone calls today could be out of pocket.
If that includes you, it could be worth using Three's official complaint form to open a case and see if you're entitled to a refund. There's no guarantee of compensation, but Ofcom states that if the matter is still unresolved after eight weeks, you can then complain to an independent Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme.
Hopefully it won't come to that, but I'd advise against using Three UK's live chat to open a case right now – it's currently creaking under the weight of customers who want to know when they're going to get phone calls back...
Problems with emergency calls?
A Three UK spokesperson told us earlier that "data services and 999 calls are unaffected" by the network's issues, but anecdotal evidence on social media suggests some customers are even having issues with those emergency calls.
A number of X (formerly Twitter) users say that they're unable to make 999 calls, with the ThreeUK Support account stating that "we take this extremely seriously" and then asking for DM chats to find out details.
While it doesn't seem too wise to ring 999 unnecessarily in order to check for network problems, these reports (if accurate) do potentially nudge today's issues from the realm of 'frustrating' towards potentially dangerous. This is where satellite-based features like Emergency SOS (above, available on iPhones running iOS 16.2 or later in the UK) can help to plug important gaps.
Let's hope it gets resolved soon, because we've just ticked past the four-hour mark since it all started...
999 isn't working for some...
This afternoon a number of Three customers reported on X (formerly Twitter) that emergency calls weren't working for them, despite Three stating that "data services and 999 calls are unaffected".
Well, our friends over at Tom's Guide (see the video below) have confirmed that that does indeed seem to be the case for some – when dialing 999, there was no ringing or connection. That's a bit of a problem, to say the least, so let's hope the engineers find a breakthrough soon...
@tomsguide 🚨 this seems like it could be a problem 🚨999 isn’t working on Three UK in a clear outage (include for us) but the company is still saying 999 calls should be working 🥴 #threeuk #esim #outage #networkoutage #999call #emergencyservices #travel #downdetector #mobiledata #unitedkingdom #technews #techtok #tomsguide
♬ memories - leadwave
Uswitch chimes in on compensation
The price comparison website Uswitch knows a thing or two about phone networks and has sent us its thoughts on this whole Three UK debacle.
Simrat Sharma, Uswitch mobiles expert, said: "Three’s reported outages will be incredibly frustrating for customers. Signal outage issues have been reported since around 1pm this afternoon and it remains unclear what the issue seems to be, who is affected and how long it may last".
If you (understandably) feel you deserve compensation, though, Uswitch emphasised that this isn't guaranteed. “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", Simrat Sharma added.
Given the length of this outage (approaching five hours), we'd hope Three would consider the circumstances serious enough for compensation, particularly if you use the network for business. But the best route is still to open a case on the Three complaints page...
'3 Self Service options impacted'
Désiré Athow, taking over from Mark Wilson for the next half hour or so. It is 1822 in the UK and the issue hasn't been solved yet. I just tried to call from my 3 number and there is no ringtone.
Three's coverage checker has been paused for now due to the sheer amount of people trying to use it in the past 4 hours. Three posted a message there saying "Some customers may be experiencing issues with our network. Our engineering teams are working hard to fix it. This issue is impacting some of our self-service options, so you won't be able to check your coverage at this time. We are very sorry for the issues with service and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused."
This is turning into a major outage
We'd hope to see a steep drop in the Downdetector reports from Three UK customers (and other networks). But this hasn't materialised. As you can see above, the reports are falling but not at a particular rapid pace - and that may just mean they've hit saturation level, rather than representing any easing in the voice calling issues.
There's still no estimate for a fix from Three, with its last official statement three long hours - and the Three UK support account on X (formerly Twitter) is reiterating that "our engineers are working hard to fix it ASAP". Customers are now understandably getting a little antsy with the network....
Very bad timing ahead of Emergency Alert for Storm Éowyn
The network disruption on Three couldn't come at a worse time as the government has just confirmed it will issue an Emergency Alert in "response to red weather warnings issued ahead of Storm Éowyn in Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland".
The statement mentions that “The Emergency Alert system will send a message to every compatible mobile phone in the areas at most risk, containing information about the weather warnings and guidance on how to stay safe. Mobile phones will make a loud siren-like sound even if they are set on silent. The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds. Approximately 4.5 million people will receive the Emergency Alert in the largest real life use of the tool to date."
You can read the rest of the statement here.
ID Mobile, Smarty customers badly hit as well
MVNO operators ID Mobile and Three-owned Smarty use Three's network as well and have been badly impacted as well. Three's hit 10,600 outage reports at its highest, just over twice the combined total for ID Mobile and Smarty (about 5,000). In comparison, Three has just over 11 million users, a number that includes Smarty's but excludes the 2 million-strong customers of ID Mobile.
Emergency Alert text has been sent already
The Emergency Alert message has already been sent about 10 minutes ago. Let's hope 3 UK customers did receive this warning.
Three apologises for 999 outage
Still no news on a fix for the voice call outage yet, but Three has just sent me a statement on the many reports of customers not being able to make 999 calls.
A Three spokesperson told us: "We are aware of a number of reports that customers have not been able to connect to 999 calls. We are taking this very seriously and are investigating this urgently and we apologise if anyone has been unable to successfully contact emergency services."
The spokesperson added: "Call data from the emergency services shows that the majority of 999 calls being placed via our network are being connected via other networks." Not a universal issue then, but certainly a serious one.
I've followed up to ask if there are any updates on the wider outage (now well over six hours long) and will post an update as soon as I hear back.
It's now seven hours and counting...
Okay, this voice calls outage is dragging on to what must be close to record levels. The problems started at 1.05pm GMT, which means we're now seven hours in – and there's still no sign on a resolution.
We saw big Three outages in February 2024 and a massive one in December 2023, which were more all-encompassing across all of its services – but I don't recall them lasting for as long as this one.
Three UK really does need to put out an updated statement on its progress (beyond its emergency calls apology below) – I'm continuing to ask and will update you when I hear back.
We have an update (kind of)
UPDATE: We're aware of an ongoing issue affecting a small percentage of voice services and are working hard to fix it. Data services are unaffected. We're really sorry if you've been affected by this.January 23, 2025
With the Three UK voice calling outage showing no signs of being resolved, the network has finally put out another statement (above) – although it doesn't tell us much we didn't know.
Three UK calls the problems an "ongoing issue" (it's now eight hours since they started) and confirms that it's "working hard to fix it", but gives no timeframe. As a Smarty customer, I'm assuming there'll be no voice calls until tomorrow January 24, but am hoping to wake up to good news.
Notably, Three added that "data services are unaffected" but removed "999 calls" from that section of its earlier statement, after it became clear that those weren't working for many of its customers either. With that, I'm likely signing off for the evening – but like you, hope to see a fix rolled out by the time we meet again on January 24...
Call me maybe
It's late and I tried to call a few phone numbers. An 0330 number "picked up" immediately but was silent; no automated message read out to me. Called an 0161 number and there was no tonality, same for a non-Three UK phone number. Worryingly, when I called another Three UK phone, it rang several times but the phone itself didn't ring at all. It then went straight to voicemail and this corresponds to what we've anecdotally heard from those who commented on Downdetector's 3 UK page.
Fortunately, data remains available throughout (unlike the downtime of December 2023) and therefore softens the blow by enabling people to stay connected through Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger and other messaging services.
Hanging on the telephone
It's almost 11pm in the UK and time for one last update of the day. Three has yet to issue another update for what has been one of the worst network outages in the UK in recent memories. The lack of urgency, transparency and feedback has caused confusion and chaos in the lives of thousands of its customers today and delivered a torrid 12 hours to their support center staff. I just made a last few calls on my 3 mobile phone and nothing is going through. So it's good night from me and let's hope the engineers at Three UK are frenetically working overtime to solve this network snafu.
Another (non) update comes from Three
Midnight isn't too far away and Three is still trying to sort out the network outage, updating customers via another Twitter post. Sadly, the lack of any real information is still frustrating.
UPDATE: Our teams are still working to fix the ongoing issue affecting a small percentage of voice services. Data services are unaffected.We're aware of a number of reports that customers have not been able to connect to 999 calls 🧵1/3January 23, 2025
That said, Downdetector is indicating that the volume of complaints from customers has dropped off, which could just be because it's quite late at night.
It's (slowly) coming to us now
It's now past 1am in the UK and we're seeing some Three network users respond on Twitter that services are coming back on again. There's no official word from the telco, however, so we'll keep our fingers crossed that the returning normalcy is, indeed, widespread and not just for a subset of people.
Finally seems to be back on after 10 hours. Can you post how customers can record if they've been affected & the complaints process please.January 24, 2025
This is coming nearly 11 hours since the outage began and we may have to wait until the morning to receive an official statement and, as one Twitter users asked, whether there will be any recompense.
Until then, we'll call it a night and update you on further developments in a few hours.
Finally back on.. what compensation are we going to get that is my ?January 24, 2025
Signs of life (but still no fix)
Good morning, and welcome to our Three UK outage liveblog. I was hoping this would be a fairly quick wrap-up, but surprisingly some Three UK customers are still reporting voice call problems (17 hours on from when they started) and there's been no updated statement from the network.
I'm on Smarty (a Three-related network) and now have voice calls back. A few TechRadar readers have also emailed me to say that their service has finally returned. But Downdetector (above) is showing another spike as customers wake up to find there are still residual issues.
I have to say it's quite poor that I'm writing to update you before Three UK has this morning, but here we are. I've also messaged Three and also Ofcom to find out if it has any more specific advice about compensation related to this severe outage, beyond its general advice pageon mobile service faults. Here's Three UK's complaints form if you need it too.
It's finally over (for most of us)
Three UK has now released a lengthier statement confirming that its voice calling outage is finally over for most customers – but that more problems could arise from Storm Éowyn "in some areas".
A Three UK spokesperson said: "Following an issue affecting voice calls yesterday, services have returned to normal overnight. We continue to monitor and review all services throughout today to ensure full stability."
But it's not all good news, with storm-related issues a possibility for those in the northern parts of the UK. The spokesperson added: "Today we expect to see an additional impact on our service due to Storm Éowyn in some areas. We have already deployed extra engineering resources and planning for these areas, so we can bring sites that are impacted back online as soon as it is safe to do so."
Three UK has also again acknowledged that some customers (apparently a minority) were unable to make emergency calls following the outage. The spokesperson added: "A normal volume of 999 calls were connected yesterday and our monitoring confirms the service is working fully this morning. We continue to investigate the small number of reports that we received about 999 call failures."
The network concluded that "we apologise sincerely for the inconvenience caused by the issues on our voice network yesterday”, which were the worst since outages in February 2024 and December 2023. We're following up with Three UK to ask about compensation.
A word on compensation...
I asked Ofcom, the UK's telecommunications regulator, for some advice for anyone who (understandably) feels they deserve some compensation following Three UK's voice calling outage over the past day.
An Ofcom spokesperson has just told me: “When a mobile service is not working, it may be appropriate for the provider to offer customers some money back while repairs are being made. Customers affected by outages can get in touch with their provider and follow their formal complaints procedure.”
So not too different from what I'd advised before, but it's good to get Ofcom's latest advice on this specific case. With the Three UK outages now pretty much resolved according to Downdetector, this is probably the main question on customers' minds.
If that's you, I'll leave you with some handy links below – which I've typed while crossing my fingers that there'll be no more problems whipped up by Storm Éowyn today...
