Jio, Airtel Down: On September 17, 2024, network disruptions hit users of Jio and Airtel across India, leading to a flurry of complaints on social media platforms. According to data from outage tracker Downdetector, there was a sharp increase in outage reports starting around noon, reflecting widespread connectivity issues for both telecom giants.
At 12:18 pm, Downdetector recorded a staggering 10,367 outage reports from Jio users, a dramatic rise from the 653 reports logged at 11:13 am and just seven reports at 10:13 am. This surge in reports indicates a significant network failure affecting a large number of users. Meanwhile, Airtel users also experienced connectivity issues, with over 130 outage reports filed by 1 pm.
Analysis of the outage data revealed that a substantial portion of the Jio-related complaints were about 'No Signal,' accounting for 68 per cent of the reports. Mobile internet issues made up 18 per cent of the complaints, while 14 per cent were related to JioFibre services. For Airtel users, the problems were primarily associated with signal loss, mobile internet disruptions, and complete service blackouts.
In contrast, networks operated by Vodafone Idea and BSNL appeared to be functioning normally, as indicated by Downdetector's data, suggesting that the issues were isolated to Jio and Airtel users.
Users Vent Frustration On Social Media
The outages prompted a wave of frustration on social media, particularly on the microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter). Users expressed their discontent, with many reporting an inability to make phone calls, send or receive text messages, or access mobile internet services. The widespread nature of these complaints highlights the scale of the disruption experienced by users.
As of yet, neither Jio nor Airtel has provided specific details regarding the cause of these outages or an estimated timeline for resolution. Users are eagerly awaiting updates from the telecom providers on when they can expect normal service to resume.