A Verizon wireless service outage plagued thousands around the Meridan Hill Park area in Washington, D.C., affecting more than just phone service.
Verizon said the problem is located mostly in the 20009 zip code area since Friday, Feb. 3. They said engineers were able to fix the issue Monday evening.
“On Friday morning, we lost the ability to send and receive phone calls, including to 911," said resident Katy Hew.
Residents from Dupont Circle to Lanier Heights to Columbia Heights who have given up their landline service found a solution to the issue over the weekend. They left the area.
"First, it was just me, and I thought, ooh, did I not pay my bill?” said resident Delina Hanley “Why is every call getting dropped?"
Anyone in the “dead zone” traveled out of the cell coverage area. They kept going until they found a tower that provided service.
"I had to go five blocks south in the 30 degree weather," said Hew.
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It is making people who have cut the cord on their housebound land line service to rethink that move. They wonder what would happen in an emergency if everyone lost cell service.
"Definitely makes me think about it,” Hew said. “Don't think I'll act on it, but it definitely makes me think about it."
Verizon said there were alarm systems that also relied on the wireless networks.
