Airtel network down: Widespread outage disrupts calls and data
Airtel, India’s leading telecom operator, faced a widespread service interruption on August 18, 2025. Outage monitoring site Downdetector recorded a sharp rise in complaints beginning around 3:30 PM IST, peaking with several thousand reports
Key Details of Disruption
- Scope and Impact
Widespread reach:
Major metros affected—Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and beyond
Service affected:
Mobile phone (voice) concerns: 56% of reports
Mobile internet issues: 26%
No signal: 18%
Airtel’s Response
Airtel issued a statement on X (Twitter), saying:
"We are currently experiencing a network outage, our team is actively working to resolve the issue and restore services promptly. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused."
"In Delhi-NCR specifically, Airtel noted that “a significant part of the issue has already been resolved” but engineers remain on the case"
Comparisons & Historical Context
Airtel outages are not unprecedented. Earlier in 2025, services were down in Delhi-NCR during a previous brief outage. However, the current scale—with complaints across multiple major cities and high user volume—marks a more extensive disruption.
Impact Assessment
- Productivity loss: During working hours, professionals reliant on mobile calls and internet were severely affected.
- Frustration mounting: Many users threatened to switch providers if such outages persist.
- Brand trust: Recurrent disruptions may erode consumer confidence in Airtel’s network reliability.