Glitch cuts off SoCal Verizon customers

Technology

Verizon engineers are probing a software failure that left thousands of voice and data subscribers in the Los Angeles area without service for up to 12 hours.

The Los Angeles Times said about 150,000 customers were cut off early Tuesday when a computer problem cropped up at a Long Beach switching facility, which led to a corruption of the system's main software and then an ignoble crash that knocked out landline, Internet, some cell-phone service and even 911 capability.

Backup systems failed to deploy for reasons that remained under investigation Wednesday.

The situation caused Long Beach officials to put out emergency informational broadcasts over a commercial radio station.

Other wireless carriers reported problems as well, as people in the affected areas switched to their cell phones after their land lines went down.

Copyright 2005 by United Press International

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