Three Network Outage Leaves Thousands Without Service Amid Storm Éowyn
Mobile network Three has apologised after a major outage left thousands of customers unable to make or receive calls on Thursday, 23 January 2025. The issue, which began around 1pm, affected voice services across the UK, with over 10,000 reports logged on Downdetector. Smaller networks that rely on Three’s infrastructure, such as Smarty and iD Mobile, were also impacted.
Three initially stated that data services and 999 calls were unaffected, but later acknowledged reports of some customers being unable to connect to emergency services. The company said it was investigating these claims “urgently” and advised users to try alternative networks or landlines if they encountered issues with 999 calls. By Friday morning, Three confirmed that services had largely returned to normal, though some localised issues persisted due to Storm Éowyn, which has caused additional disruption across the UK.
The outage sparked widespread frustration among customers, with many taking to social media to share their experiences. Some reported missing medical appointments or being unable to contact loved ones. Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, has been in contact with Three to assess the scale and cause of the problem. While compensation for outages is not automatic, Ofcom suggests that refunds may be appropriate in cases of prolonged disruption.
This incident comes just a month after Three’s £16.5bn merger with Vodafone was approved, a deal expected to improve service quality and infrastructure. However, the outage has raised concerns about the reliability of the network, particularly during severe weather conditions. Three has deployed additional engineering resources to address ongoing issues caused by the storm and continues to monitor the situation.
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