If your cell phone or home phone does not receive a dial tone and you cannot make or receive calls, it’s likely you are affected by a service outage. AT&T service outages occur for a variety of reasons, such as bad weather or a downed phone line. When your phone stops working, you probably will want to know whether an outage is causing it or if it’s just your phone having trouble. AT&T offers a way to check if your area is experiencing a service outage. Tips Writer Bio