Mobile carrier LG U+ faces criticism for communication blackout

By Park Sae-jin Posted : October 16, 2017, 09:53 Updated : October 16, 2017, 09:53

[Yonhap Photo]



LG U+, South Korea's third-largest mobile carrier, came under a barrage of criticism by angry consumers after its mobile data communication network experienced a blackout over the weekend.

Mobile networks provided by LG U+ in Daegu, the country's fourth-largest city some 238 kilometers (147 miles) south of Seoul, went dark for several hours at about 1:00 am (1600GMT) Sunday. Some users in cities near Seoul, including Ansan and Suwon,  also reported communication failure.

The users were able to make phone calls and send text messages but they could not use mobile internet and other features. Other networks used for business purposes such as credit card transactions went off.

"I arrived home by taxi on early Sunday morning but I couldn't pay up with my credit card because the transaction service was off," Jung Yeong-jo, a 22-year-old postgraduate student in Daegu, told Aju News. "The driver was kind enough to give me his account number so that I can send him the taxi fare later."

LG U+ has not explained why the blackout happened. The mobile carrier was responsible for blackouts in Suwon in July and in other areas in September. 

 
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