A major Spectrum outage caused by a statewide disruption left several San Antonio-area agencies, including Bexar County courts, hospitals, and public safety departments, struggling to maintain communication on Tuesday afternoon.

911 Services Affected by the Outage

Bexar County’s emergency services were severely impacted, with the local Sheriff’s Office alerting residents via social media about the inability to call 911 using Spectrum-provided phone services. According to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, “A tower in Houston was impacted due to the storm, affecting internet service in the region.” This outage was linked to the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall along the Texas coast on Monday.

Fortunately, Bexar County Public Information Officer Monica Ramos assured the public that as of 6:08 p.m., most 911 calls were coming through, except for those using voiceover IP systems with Spectrum. “Anyone calling from a cellphone can get through to 911,” Ramos added, helping alleviate some concerns.

Spectrum Apologizes for Statewide Disruptions

Spectrum addressed the widespread outage through a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), attributing the disruption to “a third-party infrastructure issue caused by Hurricane Beryl.” The internet service provider apologized for the inconvenience and assured customers that technicians were working hard to restore services across Texas. The outage began shortly after noon, affecting numerous cities, including San Antonio, Austin, Houston, and Dallas.

Hospital Systems and Courts Affected

University Health, a major hospital system in San Antonio, was among the institutions affected by the outage. They urged patients to use MyChart, their online health communication system, to contact their healthcare teams if phone services were unavailable. The hospital system also apologized for the disruption, noting it was a result of the nationwide Spectrum internet outage.

Meanwhile, the Bexar County court system experienced significant interruptions. By 3:04 p.m., the “presiding civil district court was only able to accommodate walk-in requests.” Phone lines and other communication systems across the courthouse complex were completely down.

Widespread Impact Across Texas

Reports from affected Texas cities poured in throughout the afternoon, with the City of Kyle and various areas in Austin also experiencing service disruptions. According to Downdetector, a platform tracking service outages via user reports, over 31,000 outage reports had been submitted by 1 p.m., indicating the scale of the problem. The areas most affected included San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Dallas, and several other locations.

While Spectrum has not yet released the full extent of the outage, residents and organizations across Texas continue to face difficulties as the service provider works to restore connectivity.

What to Do If You Are Affected

For those still experiencing service outages, Spectrum recommends staying updated through their social media channels. Customers facing 911 disruptions are encouraged to use cell phones to ensure emergency calls go through. Healthcare institutions, such as University Health, advise patients to utilize online portals like MyChart to stay connected with medical teams.

The aftermath of this widespread outage highlights the vulnerability of critical communication infrastructures during natural disasters and the importance of backup systems to ensure public safety and health services remain functional during such events.