In brief
NTT Docomo confirmed widespread outages in Japan beginning around 11:18 a.m., while its online shop and portal had been shut earlier due to suspected unauthorized access. The carrier investigates whether the cyber incident triggered the service disruptions and is checking impact on emergency calls.
NTT Docomo Inc. announced on Thursday that it is experiencing a nationwide outage affecting voice calls, mobile data and texting across Japan, with the disruption beginning around 11:18 a.m. The carrier said the problems also rippled through services offered by other mobile providers that use Docomo’s network.
Earlier that morning, the telecom giant had suspended its online shop and My Docomo customer portal at about 1:05 a.m. after concluding that an outside party had likely gained unauthorized access to its servers. According to the carrier, the shutdown left customers unable to sign up for mobile plans, check bills or make contract changes.
NTT Docomo is investigating whether the suspected cyber intrusion caused the widespread service problems. The company said it is checking for any impact on emergency calls and has not confirmed a direct link between the server breach and the outages.
Sources at the carrier are monitoring the situation and are expected to provide an update when additional information becomes available. Customers who have experienced disruptions are urged to check the official NTT Docomo website for further instructions.
