AT&T Data Center Fire Cuts Off Internet for North Texas Customers

Electrical fire at an AT&T data center in Richardson, Texas, caused the company’s customers in North Texas to lose internet connectivity and U-Verse TV services for several hours Monday, city officials said in a statement.

The fire started in the facility’s power switch and “burned primary and backup electrical systems,” the statement read. Local CBS reporter MaryAnn Martinez posted the statement on Twitter.

In a statement to CBS 11 News, an AT&T spokesperson linked the connectivity outage experienced by customers in the area to the fire: “Damage caused by a fire at one of our facilities may be affecting internet services for some of our customers in the Dallas area.”

No one was hurt, according to CBS 11.

It’s unclear what caused the fire. A rumor had circulated earlier that a lightning strike could have been the culprit. But the Richardson Fire Department said there was no indication weather played a role, saying it was an “undetermined electrical fire.”