Verizon customers across the U.S. experienced a major network outage this past Wednesday, leaving many without cell service for hours. To address the frustration caused by the incident, Verizon has announced it will offer affected customers a $20 account credit. This gesture isn’t a complete fix, but it’s an acknowledgment of the disruption and inconvenience users faced.

In a statement shared on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Verizon apologized for the outage, admitting it fell short of delivering the reliable service customers expect. "Yesterday, we did not meet the standard of excellence you expect and that we expect of ourselves," the company shared, adding, "This credit isn't meant to make up for what happened. No credit really can."

The outage struck on Wednesday around noon, affecting millions of customers nationwide. People flooded social media with complaints about dropped calls, failed texts, and wireless service stuck in "SOS mode." For a company known for its robust coverage, the widespread disruption bruised its reputation and frustrated many.

Verizon’s $20 account credit is meant to cover multiple days of service. If you’re a customer, you’ll receive a text notification when the credit is available on your account. Once notified, simply log into the myVerizon app to claim the credit. The process is straightforward, making it easy to redeem.

While Verizon’s offer might provide some relief, the outage serves as a reminder of how much modern life depends on uninterrupted connectivity. From personal communication to work and emergency services, staying connected is critical. For many users, losing access even briefly highlights just how dependent we’ve become on these systems.

The company hasn’t yet provided a detailed explanation of what went wrong or how it plans to prevent a similar disruption in the future. However, this gesture—though modest—shows an attempt to restore customer trust. Still, Verizon users may be left wondering if more robust measures are being put in place to safeguard against another major mishap.

In the age of instant communication and digital reliance, network failures can feel catastrophic. While $20 won’t erase the annoyance, it’s worth claiming if you were impacted by the outage. Keep an eye out for the text message from Verizon, and redeem the credit when available. It’s the least customers deserve after such a frustrating experience.