Three Network Outage Leaves Millions Without Voice Calls But Data Still Running
Today, many mobile users across the UK woke up to a frustrating situation: they simply couldn’t make or receive phone calls. The issue stems from a significant outage affecting the Three UK network — one of the country's major mobile operators. While data services like 4G and 5G are still functioning, traditional voice calls have taken a major hit, leaving many in the lurch.
As of this morning, thousands of reports poured in via DownDetector, peaking at over 9,000 complaints by mid-morning. These disruptions began around 7:45 am BST and are still ongoing at the time of speaking. Three has since acknowledged the problem, stating there is “an issue affecting voice services” and that their engineers are “working hard to fix it.” However, no clear timeframe for resolution has been given.
For customers, the timing couldn’t be worse. Some reported being unable to return important missed calls — from hospitals, employers, or even emergency services. A few users on social media shared that they were unable to connect to 999, which understandably raised serious concerns. Although Three claims data services are unaffected, reports suggest some users also briefly lost access to mobile data earlier in the day.
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What adds more complexity is the recent merger between Vodafone and Three. Together, the two are now the UK’s largest mobile network, boasting around 27 million customers. While Vodafone users remain unaffected for now, the ripple effects are being felt across partner networks like ID Mobile and Smarty, both of which rely on Three’s infrastructure. These smaller providers have issued their own statements, assuring users that they're working closely with Three to restore full services.
This isn’t the first time Three has faced such issues. A similar outage in January 2025 also prevented users from making emergency calls, prompting an internal investigation at the time. The recurrence of such problems calls into question the reliability of the network, especially as more customers depend on their phones not just for social connectivity but also for business and safety.
Interestingly, despite the recent merger, users still can't jump over to Vodafone’s network as a backup. That benefit is apparently still months away from being rolled out. For now, Three has advised customers to use third-party messaging and voice apps like WhatsApp for calls — which is only helpful if the other party also uses such apps.
So what now? As it stands, we wait. Frustration is mounting, and rightly so. Voice calls are a fundamental service. When they go down, the impact is immediate and personal. Three owes its customers not just a fix, but transparency and, ideally, a plan to prevent this from happening again.
If you’re affected, keep checking Three’s service status or social media for updates. And in the meantime, make sure your loved ones have alternative ways to reach you — because in today’s connected world, even a few hours of silence can speak volumes.
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