Karmactive Team
Three UK’s network crashed Wednesday morning, leaving millions unable to make or receive phone calls in what marks the company’s second major service failure this year.
The problems began around 7:45 AM BST on June 25, 2025, with voice services dropping across the UK. By 9:30 PM, the outage had stretched beyond 13 hours without resolution.
“We are aware of an issue affecting voice services and are working hard to fix it. Data services are working normally,” Three UK posted on X. Later, they added that “a small number of text messages are also being affected.”
Downdetector registered over 9,000 complaints at the peak, with 80% related to voice calls, 17% to signal issues, and 3% to internet connectivity.
The timing is particularly awkward for Three, coming just weeks after completing its £15 billion merger with Vodafone UK on May 31. This deal created Britain’s largest mobile provider with 27 million customers.
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Many frustrated users asked why they couldn’t use Vodafone’s network during the outage. The answer: despite the merger, the promised “Access to Roam” feature allowing customers to use both networks remains in early stages. Only 24 masts currently enable this function, with 10,000 more planned by March 2026.
The problems extend beyond Three’s direct customers. Other providers using Three’s infrastructure – including Smarty and ID Mobile – also reported issues. ID Mobile stated: “Please bear with us, our technical teams are working hard with our network partner Three UK to fix this issue.”
Some customers reported missing important calls, including doctor appointments, while others couldn’t reach breakdown services. When asked about resolution timeframes, Three’s customer service agents could only say: “we don’t have a timeframe to share at present.”
This outage follows a similar incident in January 2025 that reportedly lasted over 14 hours. That history has prompted many customers to demand compensation or threaten to switch providers.
Three has recommended using third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp for calls where possible, as data services remain largely operational for most users. Customers can file complaints through Three UK’s website, live chat, or by calling customer support.
Questions have also emerged about emergency services access, with some users reporting difficulties reaching 999. Three has maintained that emergency calls should be functioning but asked anyone experiencing problems to report details via their webchat service.
