Reliance Jio, India’s largest telecom operator, faced a massive outage on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, leaving thousands of users unable to make calls or access the internet. According to outage-tracking website Downdetector, reports started pouring in around 2 PM IST, with more than 7,000 complaints recorded within hours.
What made the situation worse is that Airtel, another leading telecom provider, also appeared to be facing network issues in certain regions, adding to user frustration.
What Users Experienced
The disruption primarily affected mobile signals and internet services, with many users across India taking to social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook to report:
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Complete network blackout in some areas.
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Intermittent internet access where users could not stream or browse.
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Call drops and failed connections, even on urgent calls.
The issue was not limited to one city. Complaints came from Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, showing that the problem was widespread.
Airtel Also Faces Trouble
While Jio was at the center of the outage, Airtel users also reported disruptions. Downdetector showed hundreds of outage reports for Airtel during the same time frame, though the scale appeared smaller compared to Jio.
This raised concerns among users, with many questioning whether the issue was linked to a common technical fault, cyberattack, or government-related network control.
No Official Statement Yet
As of now, neither Jio nor Airtel has released an official clarification regarding the cause of the outage. The silence from the telecom giants has led to a flood of speculation online.
Some users suspected a server breakdown, while others guessed it might be related to ongoing infrastructure upgrades. A few even linked it to possible submarine cable issues, which often impact global connectivity.
Jio Outage Trend: Not the First Time
This isn’t the first time Jio has faced such massive disruptions. In the past year, several localized outages were reported, though they were resolved within a few hours. However, the scale of today’s incident appears much larger.
For customers who depend heavily on mobile data for work, education, and online payments, even a short downtime can create significant disruption.
Social Media Reactions
The hashtag #JioDown quickly began trending on X as frustrated users posted memes, complaints, and screenshots of network errors. Some users also reported switching temporarily to Wi-Fi or alternative networks to stay connected.
What Should Users Do?
Until an official update is provided, users experiencing the outage are advised to:
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Try switching to airplane mode and reconnecting.
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Use Wi-Fi connections where available.
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Keep alternative SIM cards handy for emergencies.
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Stay tuned to official announcements from Jio and Airtel.
Conclusion
The ongoing Jio and Airtel outages highlight how dependent millions of Indians are on mobile networks for their daily lives. While both telecom operators are yet to comment, users are eagerly awaiting a solution and an explanation.