Spark mobile rage: Call outages and the phone hack to fix them

People on the Spark mobile network have had problems with making and receiving calls today. Photo / 123RF

Many frustrated Spark mobile customers have been unable to make outbound calls since last night - and the company has offered up a phone hack on how to fix the problem.

Reports of technical problems with Spark mobiles started early yesterday evening. Some customers experienced no ringtone, and others making calls to Spark mobiles reported hearing an engaged tone.

But despite the company claiming the outbound call issue only arose last night, many Spark customers were also reporting an inability to make or recieve calls earlier this week.

This morning, Spark has acknowledged the problem, assuring it should now be fixed for most customers.

But they did offer up a phone hack on how to possibly fix the issue if customers were still experiencing problems - turn flight mode on and then back off.

“We are aware of an issue where some of our customers were unable to make outbound calls over their mobile phone or wireless and fibre landlines overnight (receiving calls, making calls over Wi-Fi and data using apps, and sending SMS or texts were not impacted),” a Spark spokesperson said.

“However, these customers should now be able to make calls. If any mobile customers are still experiencing issues, we suggest turning your flight mode on and off.

“We are urgently working to identify the cause of the issue and will update customers as we know more. We know how important it is for our customers to be connected, so we apologise for the inconvenience this may have caused.”

One customer who got in touch with the Herald reported not being able to make outbound calls since last Saturday, March 25.

The customer had their son call Spark for assistance several times for extended periods, and a technical assistant was scheduled to visit them today.

“I never realised ‘til now so many people were affected. Our internet still working, thank goodness. Let’s hope we get some answers today,” the customer said this morning.

On Thursday afternoon, Spark customers posted to social media saying they had been unable to make or receive calls since Wednesday.

In a post on Facebook, the phone company said they are aware of the issue and were urgently working to identify the cause.

It explained customers could still make calls over Wi-Fi and data using apps such as WhatsApp, and that texts could still be sent and received.

“We know how important it is for our customers to be connected, so we apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience,” the post read.

The post to Facebook quickly amassed over 200 comments in just 20 minutes, many of which were disgruntled customers sharing their frustrations.

“What about customers that don’t have Internet who are 86 and live alone and need a phone, this is crazy,” one person wrote.

“Great when I’m trying to run a business ... I bet I still get a full payment bill next month though,” another said.

New Zealand mobile customers have experienced a torrid run of service outages in 2023, with the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods and Cyclone Gabrielle causing wide patches of no signal coverage.

Following Cyclone Gabrielle, which hit the North Island on February 13, much of the Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne regions were completely without coverage for days.

Telecommunication companies also confirmed power cuts from Cyclone Gabrielle left Spark with 48 cell sites offline in Northland due to power cuts, and Vodafone had 43 downed sites.

Telcos also reported major broadband and mobile outages in the West Auckland area following the January 27 floods.