**AT&T’s Updated Outage Policy: Key Information About the “AT&T Guarantee”**
AT&T has unveiled a revised policy designed to reimburse customers for service interruptions, in response to a series of notable outages that have diminished confidence in the telecom company. Known as the “AT&T Guarantee,” this program offers bill credits for customers impacted by network disruptions that satisfy certain requirements. Nonetheless, the policy includes various stipulations that may restrict its application.
### **Understanding the AT&T Guarantee**
The AT&T Guarantee provides bill credits to mobile and fiber customers for unexpected outages, but the criteria for eligibility differ:
1. **Mobile Customers**:
– Outages must extend for at least 60 minutes.
– The outage must affect at least 10 cell towers simultaneously.
– Customers must have been connected to one of the impacted towers and experienced an uninterrupted loss of service for a minimum of one hour.
2. **Fiber Customers**:
– Outages must last at least 20 minutes.
– Customers must utilize AT&T-supplied gateways (modems/routers).
– Planned maintenance and external factors such as weather or power failures are not included.
### **Compensation for Customers**
For eligible outages, AT&T will provide a credit equivalent to one full day of service. This credit will solely apply to base wireless or fiber service charges, not covering taxes, fees, device payments, or additional services. Should an outage persist beyond 24 hours, customers will accrue extra credits for each additional day.
However, AT&T will not automatically apply prorated amounts for taxes and fees, meaning the actual credit may be lower than customers anticipate based on their total bill.
### **Restrictions and Exclusions**
While the AT&T Guarantee signifies a move toward greater accountability, it incorporates several restrictions:
– **Minimum Tower Requirement**: Mobile users will not receive credits for outages affecting fewer than 10 towers, even if service is disrupted for one hour or more.
– **AT&T’s Judgment**: The company holds the authority to decide whether an outage qualifies for reimbursement, potentially placing customers at the mercy of AT&T’s evaluation.
– **Exclusions for External Circumstances**: Natural disasters, third-party interruptions, and other external events are not included.
– **Fiber-Specific Limitations**: Fiber customers must utilize AT&T equipment to be eligible, and outages resulting from issues like damaged cables or internal wiring concerns are excluded.
### **Operational Process**
AT&T has committed to informing customers via email or SMS when they are impacted by a qualifying outage. After the situation is resolved, the company will provide information regarding the bill credit. If a customer does not receive the expected credit, they will need to reach out to AT&T directly, either through customer service or by visiting a retail location.
### **Context: Addressing Past Issues**
The AT&T Guarantee follows a number of service interruptions that have damaged the company’s image. In February 2024, a flawed network update led to a nationwide outage exceeding 12 hours, affecting over 125 million devices. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) subsequently disclosed that the outage prevented more than 92 million phone calls, including upwards of 25,000 emergency 911 calls.
The FCC’s inquiry revealed numerous shortcomings in AT&T’s internal procedures, including insufficient testing, ineffective safeguards, and failure to comply with established protocols. Although AT&T has made changes to avert similar occurrences, the impact on its reputation has been substantial.
### **Industry Landscape and Regulatory Consequences**
AT&T’s initiative to provide bill credits mirrors analogous steps taken by competitors like Verizon, which encountered a $1.05 million penalty from the FCC for a 2022 outage that disrupted emergency services across six states. While regulatory oversight has often motivated such initiatives, the FCC’s approach to enforcement may evolve with new leadership. Brendan Carr, a Trump-era appointee, is poised to become FCC chair, and his history suggests a more lenient stance toward telecom companies.
### **Restoring Customer Confidence**
AT&T’s new policy is part of a wider initiative to restore customer confidence after a notable decline in market share. According to AT&T Executive Vice President Jenifer Robertson, the company has been striving to enhance its services and mend its reputation. “Four years ago, we were losing share in the industry for a significant period of time… we recognized that we had lost our customers’ trust,” Robertson stated to Reuters.
Although the AT&T Guarantee marks progress, its success will hinge on how openly and consistently the company implements the policy. Customers are likely to closely evaluate whether AT&T’s commitments result in substantial compensation for service interruptions.
### **Concluding Remarks**
The AT&T Guarantee signifies a significant transformation in how the telecom giant manages outages, presenting a formal framework for compensating affected customers. Nonetheless, the policy’s numerous constraints
