AT&T outage reported across region after Nashville explosion
Local police were also reporting that their 911 systems were down
A suspicious explosion that wounded three people in Nashville on Christmas morning also knocked out AT&T service in the city and surrounding areaa, the company said on Twitter, and it disrupted at least some 911 service.
“Service for some customers in Nashville & surrounding areas may be affected by damage to our facilities from the explosion this morning,” the company tweeted in response to a customer who said she’d lost Internet service. “We are in contact with law enforcement & working as quickly as possible to restore service.”
AT&T said in a follow-up statement that it was deploying its disaster recovery efforts in full force.
"Power is essential to restoring wireless and wireline communications and we are working with law enforcement to get access to our equipment and make needed repairs," the company said. "Given the damage to our facility it will take time to restore service. We have already rerouted significant traffic from this facility and are bringing in other equipment, including numerous portable cell sites to the area."
AT&T thanked law enforcement officers and said that it was facing logistical hurdles to preform the needed work in a disaster area, but would continue to update customers on its progress.
T-Mobile's president of technology, Neville Ray, said in a tweet Friday evening that the mobile carrier was also experiencing service issues in a handful of cities due to the explosion.
Local police were also reporting that their 911 systems were down due to the interruption.
EXPLOSION THAT ROCKED NASHVILLE ON CHRISTMAS MORNING APPEARS TO BE 'INTENTIONAL ACT,' POLICE SAY
“Murfreesboro’s 911 lines are currently down. AT&T is experiencing an outage. Please call 615-893-1311 until further notice,” the Murfreesboro police department tweeted.
The incident appears to have sparked confusion -- with many customers asking on social media why there service had been "cut" or complaining about the outage, which may have made it difficult for them to have seen reports on the explosion.
Authorities have said they believe the blast was intentional. An RV exploded around 6:30 a.m. and left debris and rubble scattered across some of downtown Nashville.
Emergency personnel work near the scene of an explosion in downtown Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Dec. 25, 2020. Buildings shook in the immediate area and beyond after a loud boom was heard early Christmas morning.(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
At least three people were hospitalized, and Metro Nashville Police said they were questioning several people but did not immediately provide additional details. It’s unclear whether anyone was inside the RV when it blew up.
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A police spokesman said authorities were not aware of other threats to the public, but bomb dogs were sweeping the area as a precaution.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Matt Foster is asking anyone with details on the incident, surveillance video or other information to help investigators piece together what happened.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.