Singtel’s Mobile Meltdown: Power Glitch Keeps Users on Hold for Hours
Picture this: you’re trying to text your friend, download that new playlist, or just drop a quick call to your boss, only to find your phone’s screen frozen like a weather‑report waiting for the signal to catch up. That’s exactly what happened on Thursday night, as Singtel users around Singapore found their networks hiccuping for over three hours.
What Went Wrong?
- Power Problem: The telco’s engineers traced the issue to a switching‑board mishap that knocked the 3G/4G network offline. Think of it as a tiny blackout in the middle of an electrical storm.
- Signal Snafu: From about 10 pm to 11 pm, the signal went from strong to, well, nonexistent. 400–600 users in places like Jurong, Bishan, and Woodlands posted complaints at once.
- Slow Rollout: Singtel began slapping back the signal at 11:50 pm, but the restoration process was a gradual shrug‑and‑wait.
Users’ Frustration (and Humor)
- Jess Woo: “I tried restarting my phone a dozen times. Still no sign of life. And nope, no official update from Singtel. ”
- Chloe Poh: “Tried ordering a Grab to get home after work, but my phone was a no‑go. I literally had no way to call for help. This is a nightmare!”
- Mr. Sng: “Went from Orchard to Tiong Bahru, and still woke up with nada. Prepaid guys felt the same pain.”
- Lim Lee Ren: “I survived by staying at home and using Wi‑Fi. But if I was out and couldn’t ping my boss, that’s a big sore point.”
The Social Media Surge
Within 30 minutes of the outage, 200 posts poured into the Facebook feed about “no calls, no texts, no data.” Singtel’s own post at 11 pm noted the problem and promised fixes, but the community’s commentary spiked with frustration. By 1 am, the post had attracted 2,000 comments, 1,800 reactions (happy thumbs‑up or furious red‑for‑angry), and 770 shares.
Regulator’s Nod
The Info‑communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) is on the case, looking into whether the outage was due to a faulty power source or so much older switching gear. A spokesperson said: “We’re investigating the incident to get the nits out.”
Fast and Furious Fix
Singtel rolled back the network with work‑horse speed. By 1:22 am, all services punted back to a steady beat—voice, texts, and data humming again. The company apologized at 1:20 am, saying “We’re working to keep the network fully restored.”
Bottom Line
It’s a classic tale of how a tiny power hiccup can turn a smooth night into a black‑top for mobile users. Thanks to the quick fix, most people were back on the grid by midnight. For the rest? Water cooled, and a heartfelt thank‑you to the community for holding the phone reset patience. In the spirit of “late‑night tech support”: keep your batteries full and your hopes fuller!
