Thousands of BT, EE and Vodafone were left with voice calling issues for over two days last month. Even though the problems are now fixed, it was still something that caused small businesses especially a huge headache.
The mobile and landline outage first started on Thursday 24th July at around 11am BST before being resolved later in the day. However, unfortunately the issues re-emerged on Friday 25th July.
Frustrated users continued to report being unable to receive or make calls throughout Friday, but on Saturday 25th July both BT and EE revealed on X that an overnight fix had brought their services back to normal. Despite this, there appeared to be spikes in reports of issues at all of the major UK networks, including O2. There was a smaller, less notable spike at Three.
Generally, mobile outages hit multiple networks when they’re related MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operator), who share the same cell network. But the outages of the 24th July appeared to be hitting all of the big networks simultaneously. MVNOs piggybacking on these networks (e.g., Lebara, iD Mobile, Sky, Tesco Mobile, Giffgaff) were also impacted.
Customers were told that “due to some technical issues” some will be experiencing issues with making and receiving calls.”
Who Was Affected?
During the outage, customers were unable to contact family or friends and couldn’t make important calls, such as those to taxis or delivery services. Businesses experienced missed sales enquiries, customer service disruptions, booking issues and internal coordination breakdowns. Gig economy workers, including drivers and couriers, didn’t escape either, as they were left unable to accept or confirm job requests. Meanwhile, MVNO users felt doubly let down, as the failures of the larger network providers impacted their smaller carriers, leaving them with little recourse.
Why It’s Time to Switch to VoIP
VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a handy technology that lets you make voice calls using the internet instead of relying on traditional phone lines or mobile networks. It works by turning your voice into digital signals that travel over a broadband or data connection, so you can use devices like your smartphone, laptop tablet, or a special VoIP phone to chat. One big plus is that VoIP keeps you connected even during mobile or landline outages – if you’ve got internet access through Wi-Fi or Ethernet, you can still make and receive calls without a hitch.
bOnline’s award-winning VoIP for small businesses keeps you connected, even when legacy networks fail.
Built-In Continuity and Failover:
- Route calls to mobile, laptop or backup lines in seconds
- Smart call flows, greetings and hours mean your business always looks professional
- No single point of failure: we’re not tied to the PSTN or a single mobile carrier
Better Control, Smarter Features:
- Call recording, AI transcriptions, WhatsApp/SMS coming soon
- Manage everything from your mobile or desktop app
- Add users and features without waiting for an engineer
How bOnline Can Help
Signing up for a 7-day free trial with bOnline is quick, easy and completely risk-free. There’s no need to enter any credit card details, so you won’t be charged at the end of the trial unless you choose to continue. The sign-up process takes just 2 minutes online too, and you’ll get full access to explore how bOnline’s VoIP phone system works for your business. If you decide it’s not for you, simply let the trial end – no strings attached. You literally have nothing to lose.
