A New Blackout is causing significant inconveniences in Spainthis time hitting in particular the Telecommunication networks: on tilt fixed telephone lines, internet network and the emergency number of 112. From the early hours of the morning, in many areas of the country they have been reported problems especially with fixed lines and emergency services. The most involved regions are theAndalusia (where the cities of Seville, Cadiz and Huelva were affected above all), the Galiciai Basque countriestheAragonthe NavarratheExtremadura and the Valencian community. The single European emergency number, the 112is unreachable in different areas, forcing local authorities to activate alternative numbers and communicate via social networks to inform citizens. From the latest update, however, it seems that the situation is progressively Returning to normal And number 112 seems to have now been restored in the community of Valencia, Aragon, Rioja and Andalusia.
Unlike the maxi blackout that took place on April 29, it seems that this interruption was not caused by a problem with the electrical network, but by a technical update performed by the company Telephónica. Although the failure is limited to certain services and geographical areas, the episode reopens important questions about the reliability of digital infrastructures in critical situations.
When the new blackout started in Spain and why
The first reports of malfunction appeared online Shortly after 02:00 at nightas noted by the portal Downdetectora participatory platform that collects the reports of users relating to interruptions of digital services. According to the available data, the 72% of the problems reported concerns only the Fixed internet connectionwhile a further 18% refers to theTotal absence of telephone signal. Only the remaining 10% It was classified as total blackoutor a complete interruption of all digital services in a specific area.
The heart of the problem, according to what was communicated by Telephónica – one of the main Spanish telecommunication companies – is to be traced back to a Network update. It was a planned technical intervention who ended up compromising the functionality of some infrastructures, influencing in particular the voice and internet services of fixed lines. Telefónica confirmed that the works have affected some companies and geographical areas, and that it is working on the complete restoration of the services. Some fundamental systems, such as emergency lines 112, have already been partially reactivated in regions such as the Valencian community, Aragon, Rioja and Andalusia. In fact, a spokesman for the company said:
We carried out some refresher works of the network that had repercussions on the fixed communication services (voice and the internet) of some companies. We are working to solve the problem and some of the services concerned have already been restored, such as the emergency service 112, which has now been restored.
The 112 It is a single European number for emergencies and its inaccessibility has raised very strong concerns, rightly! In many autonomous communities, local authorities have had to provide substitute telephone numbers to guarantee access to rescue. In the Basque Country, for example, the regional government has declared that the situation is taking place randomly and not systemically, with problems that affect only some calls, which makes it more complicated to identify the exact genesis of the disservice and coordinate a timely response and that definitively resolves the problem.
This new disservice fell into Spain in an already delicate context for the Iberian peninsula, back from one massive electric interruption that took place on 29 April which paralyzed the country for almost 23 hours. On that occasion, millions of people in Spain and Portugal had remained without current, with serious effects on urban traffic, airports and even payment terminals in stores. The episode had prompted the government to start an official investigation to exclude the hypothesis of an IT attack and to clarify the responsibilities of the companies involved.
Even today, although the causes are of a different nature, the impact on daily life has been evident. In addition to the inconvenience in emergency communications, users are experimenting with interruptions in voice calls, slowdowns in navigation and the impossibility of accessing essential online services. According to the Spanish media, fixed phones are particularly affected, even if the interruptions seem to involve the entire Telefónica infrastructure more generally.
The Spanish Ministry has made it known that it is “monitoring the situation»And that it is also”requesting precise information and timing for a solution».
More and more dependent on digital networks
Events like this show how much our dependence on digital networks is now structural. Even planned technical interventions, if not managed with sufficient redundancy – or with backup systems capable of temporarily replacing the main ones – can turn into epochal disasters. The rapid reaction of local and national authorities in the face of events of this type, together with the transparency required of the companies involved, in the future will be crucial to prevent similar episodes.
