Spain hit by major phone network outage weeks after nation blackout
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A major phone network failure by Telefonica has disrupted emergency services across Spain, just weeks after a nationwide blackout.
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A city bus goes by the historic city of Santiago, Spain, during a major power outage across Spain and Portugal on April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)
Spain has suffered a major telecommunications disruption just weeks after a widespread blackout crippled the country. A nationwide phone network outage, triggered by an upgrade by telecom provider Telefonica, disrupted emergency services and affected landline and voice communications across several regions.
The outage primarily affected landline services, though reports suggest all voice communication services by Telefonica experienced disruptions to varying degrees. Emergency lines in multiple regions were knocked offline, forcing local authorities to provide alternative numbers to reach vital services.
A spokesperson for Telefonica confirmed that a network upgrade had inadvertently impacted fixed-line communications.
"We have done some network upgrade work which has affected some companies' fixed communication services (voice and internet)," the spokesperson said, adding, "We are working on resolving this, and some of the affected services have already been recovered, such as the 112 emergency services."
The 112 emergency number, initially disabled in regions such as Aragón, Extremadura, the Basque Country, and the Valencian Community, has now been restored in areas including Valencia, Aragon, La Rioja, and Andalusia.
Downdetector reports widespread service disruption
According to Downdetector and Spanish media outlet El País, the issues began around 2 am, while most users reported total service outages (72%), followed by no signal (18%), and full area-wide blackouts (10%).
In the Basque Country, officials noted the disruptions were sporadic and outside the control of the region's Emergency Management Centre.
Spain’s Ministry for Digital Transformation and Civil Service said it is "monitoring the situation, requesting precise information and timescales for a solution."
The telecommunications failure follows a massive blackout that hit Spain and Portugal in late April, while power was lost for nearly 23 hours, impacting everything from traffic lights and public transport to payment terminals and flight operations.
The blackout led to hundreds of flight cancellations and brought metro systems to a halt across major cities in the Iberian Peninsula.
The Spanish government has launched formal inquiries into the blackout, involving security agencies and technical experts. A high court judge is also investigating whether a cyber attack may have caused the disruption.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and REE (Red Eléctrica Española) President Beatriz Corredor have dismissed speculation that the country’s increased reliance on renewable energy was to blame.
