CEO of AT&T Inc., John Stankey, has publicly apologized after a significant system outage affected some of their wireless customers last week. The interruption led to a wave of discontent among customers and employees alike. Stankey acknowledged the issue and reassured that the company is working on measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
According to Stankey, the outage occurred due to complications during a software update, not because of any cyberattack or external interference. While immediate measures were taken to rectify the problem, concerns over the system’s reliability have been raised, with calls for an investigation and a revision of the maintenance protocol.
Stankey estimates that around a quarter of users experienced a network interruption from early morning until the afternoon. The company quickly dispatched a tech team to resolve the issue, and by the afternoon, most users reported regular functionality. Stankey expressed his regret for the service interruption and reiterated that measures are being taken to avoid a recurrence of such disruptions.
Customers affected by the incident, including small businesses and individuals, will automatically receive credit equivalent to one day’s service. The company plans to complete this compensation within the next two billing cycles. AT&T is yet to determine a compensation strategy for prepaid, mid-market, and corporate clients.
Despite the outage, AT&T’s shares have remained stable, though they’ve encountered a 13% decrease in the past year. Stankey believes that compensating customers aligns with the company’s financial guidance and is the right thing to do. This action reaffirms their commitment to customer satisfaction.
In related news, Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co, recently sold $150 million worth of his company’s stock, marking his first-ever sale, according to current filings.
