Yesterday, 2.3 million Verizon customers reported losing cell service. For many, it lasted the entire day. No calls. No texts. No data. Just an ominous "SOS" indicator where their signal bars used to be.
If you were one of them, you probably felt that sinking feeling: "How do I contact anyone right now?"
This wasn't a hurricane. It wasn't a terrorist attack. It wasn't even a cyberattack (as far as we know). According to NPR's reporting, it was a "software issue" — a bug buried somewhere in Verizon's cloud-based network infrastructure.
And that's exactly why you should be concerned.
The Problem: Cell Networks Are More Fragile Than Ever
Here's what Sanjoy Paul, a wireless network expert at Rice University, told NPR:
"What used to be a completely hardware-dependent network transformed into a complete software-dependent network. That shift has given operators more flexibility... but it has come at the expense of reliability."
In other words: modern cell networks are software, running in the cloud, managed by complex code. And software has bugs. The cloud has outages. Complex systems fail in complex ways.
This isn't the first time:
- September 2024: Verizon had a disruption across several major cities
- February 2024: AT&T experienced an outage affecting 125 million devices in all 50 states
- October 2025: Amazon Web Services went down, taking countless websites and services with it
As Lee McKnight from Syracuse University put it: outages are "a fact of life these days for major telecommunications firms."
What "SOS Mode" Actually Means
During the outage, many users saw their phones switch to "SOS" mode. This means your phone lost connection to its home network but can still attempt to connect to any available network for emergency 911 calls.
The key word is "attempt." If all networks in your area are congested or down, even SOS mode won't save you.
And here's the thing: 911 systems themselves can fail. During major disasters, 911 call centers get overwhelmed. Cell towers get destroyed. The entire system you've been taught to rely on can simply... stop working.
The Solution: Radio Doesn't Need Cell Towers
Radio technology is fundamentally different from cellular networks:
📻 Radio
- Direct communication — Your radio talks to other radios, no tower needed
- Decentralized — No single point of failure
- Works when the grid is down — Battery-powered, no internet required
- Repeaters are community-run — Not dependent on corporate infrastructure
📱 Cell Phone
- Requires towers — No tower, no service
- Centralized — One software bug takes out millions
- Needs power & internet — Towers have limited backup power
- Corporate controlled — You're at Verizon's mercy
During yesterday's outage, ham radio operators continued communicating without interruption. GMRS users could still reach their families. People with simple FRS walkie-talkies could still coordinate with neighbors.
The technology that predates the internet by decades turned out to be the most reliable option.
What You Need to Get Started
You don't need to become a ham radio expert. Here's a simple, tiered approach:
Tier 1: Absolute Minimum ($25-50)
- FRS walkie-talkies — No license required, available at Walmart/Amazon
- Range: A few blocks to a couple miles depending on terrain
- Use case: Communicate with family members within your neighborhood
Tier 2: Serious Backup ($50-100 + $35 license)
- GMRS handheld radio — Like the BTech GMRS-V1
- GMRS license — $35, no test, covers your whole family for 10 years
- Range: Several miles, access to GMRS repeaters extends it further
- Use case: Coordinate with family across town, access community repeaters
Tier 3: Full Capability ($25-150 + free license exam)
- Dual-band ham radio — Like the Baofeng UV-5R or BF-F8HP
- Technician license — Free exam, study for a week, pass 35/50 questions
- Range: Local to regional with repeaters, nationwide with proper setup
- Use case: Full emergency communication capability, access to emergency nets
The "I'll Figure It Out Later" Problem
Here's what I hear constantly: "I'll get a radio eventually. I'll learn how to use it when I need it."
That's like saying you'll learn to swim when you're drowning.
Radio takes practice. You need to:
- Program your local frequencies before an emergency
- Learn which repeaters are active in your area
- Practice basic radio etiquette so people will actually help you
- Test your equipment and know it works
The Verizon outage was a warning shot. The next one might happen during a real disaster, when you actually need to reach someone.
Your Next Steps
- Get a radio this week — Even a cheap set of FRS radios is better than nothing
- Program NOAA weather frequencies — You can listen without any license (see our guide)
- Consider GMRS — $35, no test, family-wide license (GMRS vs Ham comparison)
- Create a family communication plan — Designated channels, check-in times, rally points (free template)
- Download our checklist — One printable page with everything you need (get it free)
The Bottom Line
Cell networks are convenient, but they're not reliable. Yesterday proved that 2.3 million people can lose service in an instant because of a software bug.
Radio doesn't require cell towers, internet connections, or corporate infrastructure. It's technology that has worked for over a century, and it will keep working when everything else fails.
Don't wait for the next outage to happen during an actual emergency.