The cause of Thursday's AT&T network outage has been revealed. In a statement posted Thursday evening to the company's website and shared with CNET, the carrier said the issue was the result of software and not a cyberattack.Â
"Based on our initial review, we believe that today's outage was caused by the application and execution of an incorrect process used as we were expanding our network, not a cyber attack," the statement said. "We are continuing our assessment of today's outage to ensure we keep delivering the service that our customers deserve."
Read more:Â The Perils of Having a Smartphone as Your Main Means of Connection
The outage began early Thursday morning and ran for several hours, knocking off cellular connectivity for AT&T users across the country. A source familiar with the matter told CNET the issue occurred while AT&T was doing regular maintenance, which it normally does overnight.
Reports on social media suggested the outage was widespread, with Downdetector, a website where users can report issues with websites and services, showing a spike in problems with AT&T nationwide beginning at around 4 a.m. ET. The carrier recommended that customers use services like Wi-Fi calling to connect with others while the network was down.
Services were restored around 3 p.m. ET.