Updated 20 May 2025 at 15:35 IST
Spain Hit by Major Phone Network Outage Just Weeks After Power Blackout
Emergency phone numbers were the most affected service. In response, alternative emergency numbers were provided in different parts of the nation.
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Emergency services and connectivity came to a halt on Monday morning in Spain when the country woke up to a global telecom blackout disrupting internet connections and emergency services in several regions. The blackout began at 2:00 am and initially took place in Valencia.
The blackout quickly spread to other regions, including the Basque country, Andalusia, Extremadura, and Aragon. The root cause of the problem was later found to be connected with a scheduled network upgrade by phone giant Telefonica. The upgrade, which had begun at 3:00 am, caused an MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) system breakdown - a key part of the telecom infrastructure that delivers landline data services and emergency call systems.
On the Downdetector platform, about 72% of the complaints were related to fixed broadband. The other 18% complained about a lack of mobile coverage, and 10% complained about loss of service. The outage affected major operators such as Movistar and O2, both of which belong to Telefonica, and cut off thousands of users from internet and phone coverage during the early hours of the morning.
Emergency phone numbers were the most affected service. In response, alternative emergency numbers were provided in different parts of the nation. Valencia's dwellers were asked to dial +34 963 428 000 by the regional government. Aragon government provided three emergency numbers, namely: 683 63 82 73, 683 13 46 45, and 660 70 58 97. Basque Country's inhabitants were instructed to dial 900 112 088, however.
Spain's Ministry of Digital Transformation said it was monitoring the situation and had requested some information from Telefonica for the cause of the outage and the approximate time for solving it. Fortunately, by around 10:30 am local time, Telefonica said that the emergency numbers had been restored nationwide, although some of the non-emergency landline issues persisted. According to a report by The Mirror, the emergency services have been restored in the country.
The National Power Blackout
This blackout comes on the heels of a countrywide blackout in late April that paralysed millions in Spain and Portugal. That blackout led to a complete shutdown of transport, internet access, mobile services, and even ATM services across both countries, prompting questions on the stability of national infrastructure.
Published 20 May 2025 at 15:35 IST