Spain’s nationwide phone network collapses weeks after massive blackout: What we know

Spain's telecommunications infrastructure has been severely disrupted following a nationwide phone network shutdown. The outage affected major providers, rendering emergency services inaccessible in several regions.

Cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Seville experienced widespread service interruptions, with some emergency calls being abruptly cut off mid-conversation.

Emergency services across several regions had to issue new telephone numbers for those requiring assistance after phone lines failed following network upgrades by Telefonica, reported Independent.

Landline phones were the most severely impacted, but all Telefonica voice services seem to have experienced disruptions to some degree, according to reports from Spanish media.

"We have carried out some network upgrades that have affected specific services at some companies. We are working to resolve this," a Telefonica spokesperson said.

According to reports, the 112 number has now been restored in the Valencia community, Aragon, La Rioja, and Andalusia, among other areas.

According to the Downdetector website, problems started around 2 a.m., as reported by the Spanish newspaper El País. Among those experiencing issues, 72% reported service outages, 18% noted a lack of signal, and 10% described a “total outage” in their area.

Spain’s Ministry for Digital Transformation and Civil Service told the publication that it is “closely monitoring the situation and requesting detailed information and a timeline for resolution.”

This incident comes just four weeks after a massive power outage plunged millions across Spain and Portugal into darkness in late April, bringing much of the Iberian Peninsula to a standstill.

Spain’s electrical grid remained down for nearly 23 hours before normal operations resumed, with the blackout disrupting traffic lights, street lighting, payment terminals, and digital displays.