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Airtel down: Thousands of Airtel users face major network outage, triggering complaints
Airtel experienced a widespread service outage affecting voice and data services nationwide, sparking user backlash and a surge in online complaints.
Bharti Airtel, one of the largest telecom operators, faced a major service disruption on Monday as thousands of customers reported being unable to make calls or access mobile data. The outage triggered a wave of complaints on social media and prompted a sharp spike in reports on outage-tracking sites.
According to data from Downdetector, the number of problem reports surged shortly after 4 p.m., crossing 2,500 at peak levels, as per reports. Roughly 56 percent of users flagged issues with calling, while 26 percent cited trouble accessing mobile internet services, according to Downdetector. Another 18 percent complained of a complete loss of signal. A live outage map on the tracking site reflected dense clusters of complaints across urban centers, indicating that both voice and data services were affected.
The disruptions triggered frustration among Airtel subscribers online, with some users noting that even recent prepaid recharges failed to restore connectivity. “Several subscribers complained about losing mobile data access even after recent recharges,” one user wrote. Others pointed out that their SIM cards were completely unable to connect to the internet, adding that the problem was hampering their ability to work remotely. In Bengaluru, customers said Airtel’s 4G service had been down for hours.
Some users compared Airtel’s performance unfavorably with competing telecom providers and said they might consider switching carriers if service reliability did not improve. Others expressed surprise at facing multiple signal drops in locations where coverage is usually strong.
In a brief statement posted on social media, the company acknowledged the outage. “We are currently experiencing a network outage, our team is actively working to resolve the issue and restore services promptly. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused,” Airtel said.
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