Network Disruption Strikes Spain Again Amid Infrastructure Concerns

Spain faced another significant network disruption early Tuesday, affecting emergency responses just weeks after a severe power outage.

On Tuesday morning, Spain experienced a significant nationwide telephone network failure, resulting in the outage of emergency services in various regions for several hours. This incident occurred just weeks after an extensive power failure, which had previously disrupted the country.

Telefónica, one of Spain’s major telecommunications firms, attributed the problem to a planned upgrade of their network. The outage primarily impacted landline and internet communications, rendering the national emergency number, 112, unreachable for many callers across several regions.

“We were conducting network upgrade work that has influenced some companies’ fixed communication services,” Telefónica confirmed in an email, emphasizing their commitment to restoring full service promptly.

In response to the crisis, emergency services in areas such as Valencia, Aragón, and the Basque region swiftly utilized social media to provide alternative mobile contact numbers for those in need. Local authorities in Catalonia and Extremadura confirmed that their 112 services were hindered, but contingency measures were in place. Similarly, Andalusia’s government acknowledged the nationwide issue with the emergency lines but assured that repairs were underway.

By late morning, both Telefónica and Spain’s Minister for Digital Transformation, Óscar López, announced that the services had been fully restored. López expressed gratitude to Telefónica for their efficient response to the situation, stating, “We had been in direct contact with the company since the start of the issue, and I can confirm all incidents have been resolved.”

With over 41 million users, Telefónica is a dominant player in Spain’s telecommunications market, managing nearly all of the country's landline connections. Reports from Downdetector showed a surge in connectivity problems early Tuesday across other major providers in Spain, including Movistar, O2, and Orange.

This latest outage echoes last month’s extensive blackout that left millions stranded as transportation halted and businesses shuttered across Spain and neighboring Portugal. Authorities continue to investigate the conditions behind the previous blackout, while public sentiment grows increasingly critical of the government’s management of such significant infrastructure failings, which resulted in substantial economic ramifications.