O2 blackout hits mobile phone users, buses and smart meters

A MOBILE network internet collapse yesterday crippled bus routes, created traffic jams and even stopped smart meters being installed.

As many as 32 million mobile phone customers are believed to have been affected in an O2 data blackout, which also affected customers of Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile, Giffgaff and Lycamobile who use its service.

The outage, caused by a software fault at Ericsson, which provides O2’s data network, cut off smartphone users from the internet, apps and mobile transport services such as Uber. Some users also complained of issues receiving calls and texts.

Some customers said they were unable to contact family members to inform them about medical emergencies as a result of the outage.

Last night Telefonica, which owns O2, remained silent on whether it would compensate customers for their lack of service.

Transport for London apologised after electronic bus timetables failed at stops. Its network of “Boris Bikes” was also brought to a standstill as it relies on O2.

‘The faulty software that has caused these issues is being decommissioned’

Thousands of smart meter installation appointments were cancelled, officials admitted, as the devices rely on O2 data services.

Nathan Griggs, a salesman at an education funding agency and an O2 customer, said his wife was unable to get hold of him for 20 minutes after she learnt her mother had just had a heart attack. He said: “It was very stressful for her.” He described O2’s efforts alerting customers to the outage as “pathetic”.

Mobile phone providers are not obliged to offer compensation over data outages under Ofcom rules, despite measures coming in next year to force landline and broadband providers to compensate customers who lose service.

Mark Evans, chief executive of Telefonica (O2) UK, apologised to customers and said its teams, together with Ericsson, were “doing everything we can.”

Marielle Lindgren, of Ericsson UK & Ireland, said the software at fault was being decommissioned. “Our priority is to restore full data services on the network by the morning. Ericsson sincerely apologises to customers,” she said. Last night a spokesman for O2 said its 3G network was back up and running, and it was “working hard with Ericsson engineers to restore 4G”.