Three Experiencing Technical Issues: Some Customers Unable to Call 999

London, June 25, 2025 — The present voice service outages have been observed in Three UK, the national UK mobile network operator, as customers across the country have been facing issues dialing calls, even emergency calls on 999. Data services have so far been untouched, but the operator confirmed it’s observing a “small percentage” of voice services facing technical problems.

In a statement published on Three’s dedicated support page, the company stated that customers have been unable to connect to the emergency services. “We have had several reports that customers have been unable to connect to 999 calls,” the company said. “We take reports like these extremely seriously and are actively investigating the issue.”

Despite the worries, Three assured that call volumes for emergencies appear standard according to statistics obtained from the emergency services. However, the business also warned:

“Whilst it’ll be your call that actually connects correctly on 999, if you have issues could you try another network or a landline. Please do not test and try 999 calls on your phone as it may prevent real calls being answered efficiently.”

User Complaints Surge on Downdetector

The issue was first highlighted by users on Downdetector, a real-time outage tracking website. Downdetector reports indicate that reports for the problem soared way above the standard number in the last 24 hours, which shows a huge widespread disruption. The reports varied from call failure, network registration issues, and voicemail failure.

Three, which is owned by Hutchison Whampoa, offers mobile phone, SMS, voicemail, and mobile internet services across the UK. The company has not yet provided an estimated timeline for full restoration of services.

What You Should Do

• If you’re unable to place a voice call, use mobile data or Wi-Fi-based calling apps to communicate.
  
• For emergency calls, try a landline or a SIM from another network if possible.
  
• Avoid testing 999 calls — misuse may delay real emergency responses.
  

Response in Progress

Three has confirmed that its technical teams are “working hard to fix the issue” and expressed apologies to affected customers. The outage highlights the critical role mobile operators play in public safety, especially when emergency access is compromised.

The UK’s telecommunications regulator, Ofcom, has not yet issued a formal statement on the matter.