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AT&T outage disrupts services across Stanislaus and Merced counties
internet outage

An AT&T outage last week left residents, businesses and government agencies across Stanislaus and Merced counties without phone or internet service, with significant impacts reported in Westside communities including Newman and Gustine.

The outage began Tuesday morning and affected city halls, police departments, school districts and county offices. In Stanislaus County, Turlock City Hall, the Turlock Police Department and the Stanislaus County Jury Commissioner’s Office all reported disruptions. The county’s website and online payment systems were unavailable for much of the day, and some facilities experienced intermittent phone and computer issues.

AT&T spokesperson Caden Harris said the outage was caused by “damage to our network by a third‑party contractor,” and crews worked through the day to restore service.

On the Westside, Newman residents and businesses reported widespread internet and phone outages, with some unable to process payments or receive calls. In Gustine, city hall phone lines and computer systems were shut down, and Gustine Unified School District also reported service interruptions.

Emergency dispatching remained stable in Stanislaus County. Stanislaus Regional 911 reported that its 911 system was fully operational throughout the outage. But in Merced County, the Sheriff’s Office said its 911 calls were temporarily routed to SR911, and text‑to‑911 services were down. Non‑emergency lines were restored around 9:50 p.m., and full 911 functionality returned late Wednesday morning.

Merced Police Department also notified residents that it was experiencing issues with 911 calls routed through AT&T’s network.

County officials said some online services may continue to experience delays as systems come back online. “We appreciate your patience and understanding,” Stanislaus County said in a statement.

The outage underscored how dependent rural and Westside communities remain on reliable telecommunications, with many residents reporting they were unable to reach local agencies or conduct routine business for much of the day.