A network update by Telefónica on Tuesday, May 20, caused major disruptions to landline services across Spain, including the 112 emergency number. Several regions reported problems, prompting authorities to activate alternative emergency contact numbers while the issue was being resolved.

Regions Set Up Alternative Emergency Numbers

In the Valencian Community, the emergency coordination centre provided the number 963 428 000 while 112 was down. The service has since been restored.

In Andalucía, issues were also reported with 112. The regional health department confirmed that the medical emergency line 061 remained fully operational.

The Basque Government advised citizens to call 900 112 088 due to problems with 112. Operators noticed early Tuesday morning that some calls were cutting out or not getting through.

Aragón activated three mobile numbers—638 63 82 73, 683 13 46 45, and 660 70 58 97—for emergency use while landlines were affected.

Extremadura also reported problems and confirmed that emergency services were working to avoid further impact on the public.

Over 10 Hours Without Landline and Internet in Some Areas

The outage lasted over 10 hours in several areas, affecting not just emergency services but also businesses and internet connections. Telefónica confirmed the issue stemmed from a problem during a planned network update.

Telefónica Says Problem Is Resolved

Telefónica has now declared the incident resolved. They activated an emergency response team, isolated affected systems, and sent technicians to fix the issue. By 10:30 AM, many emergency services, including 112, were back online.

Some Areas Still Affected Despite Official Resolution

Despite Telefónica’s announcement, issues remain. In the Canary Islands, 20% of calls to 112 are still failing. The regional government has advised using direct emergency numbers like 092 (Local Police), 091 (National Police), 062 (Guardia Civil), and 080 (Fire Service), or going to a health centre in person.

In the Balearic Islands, while official services claim no issues, many users on social media have reported being without internet since early morning.

Another Wake-Up Call for Spain’s Emergency Systems

This disruption comes just weeks after a widespread blackout affected Spain and Portugal. While unrelated, both incidents have drawn attention to the vulnerability of key communication and energy networks.

Were you affected by today’s outage? Let us know how it impacted you, whether you struggled to contact emergency services or lost internet access at home or work.

Main image: Shutterstock/Galina-Photo