Mobile operator EE appeared to suffer a major outage on its 4G network yesterday, as users complained about not being able to access the internet from their mobile devices.
Users headed to Twitter and EE's subscriber forum to criticise the firm as they failed to get online with their devices.
According to the forum, EE acknowledged it had "seen an increase in customers not being able to access data".
"This is sporadic, and the majority of customers are connecting fine, but we're urgently investigating the IT issue that's causing this," said EE in a statement on the forum.
According to data collected by website Downdetector.co.uk, A sharp increase in the number of reports of problems happened around 1pm yesterday, and only started to subside at around 8pm in the evening before returning to normal around midnight. The problem affected users across the UK.
EE community manager Ed_H said the firm had identified the cause of the problem, but stopped short of revealing what it was.
"Our engineers are now at our switch sites and are working to get all of you back online as soon as possible," he said.
"Most customers seem to be OK. But for those of you still having trouble, try toggling from 4G to 3G and back again. That should move you to a new switch site from which you'll be able to get access."
One user criticised EE and said the firm appeared to be unaware of problems until users started complaining on forums.
"What I don't understand is how in 2014 you can't have some sort of monitoring system which tells you when your hardware isn't working. Instead you seem to wait until people start reporting that there is an issue. Is it not possible to have a monitoring system?" said forum user Ivanbw in a post.
EE was hit by another outage, earlier in May, that left many unable to text and make calls. Again, EE did not reveal what caused the fault.
-
M&S suspends online sales as 'cyber incident' continuesNews Marks & Spencer (M&S) has informed customers that all online and app sales have been suspended as the high street retailer battles a ‘cyber incident’.
-
Manners cost nothing, unless you’re using ChatGPTOpinion Polite users are costing OpenAI millions of dollars each year – but Ps and Qs are a small dent in what ChatGPT could cost the planet
-
EE rolls out 4G across Glasgow's underground networkNews The network is currently restricted to EE customers but is likely to expand in the near future
-
Nokia and NASA join forces to bring 4G to the moonNews Cellular service will provide the communications needed for meaningful moon exploration
-
TikTok to open first European data centre in IrelandNews The move could signify a desire to shift its operations away from the US as well as secure its position in the European market
-
Birmingham crowned the fastest UK city for 4G download speedsNews While Birmingham also recorded the highest speed hike over 2019, London came in at a middling 9th place
-
LTE vs 4G: Which is better?In-depth Comparing LTE vs 4G has become common in recent years, but how exactly do they differ, and is 4G faster?
-
What is 4G?In-depth A look at the fourth generation of mobile networking technology and its availability in the UK
-
4G vs 5G - what's the difference?Vs From 3G to 4G, mobile connectivity has revolutionised our lives. Now 5G is set to do it again
-
The best 4G networkIn-depth Every mobile provider offers 4G contracts, but which one is the best for you?
