Japan hit by mobile network disruptions as NTT Docomo investigates

People across Japan experienced disruptions to voice calls, mobile data and text messaging on Thursday as telecom operator “NTT Docomo” investigated the cause, Anadolu Agency reported, citing local media.

“NTT Docomo” said its services had been unstable nationwide since about 11:18 a.m. local time (0218 GMT), according to Kyodo News Agency.

The company said it was investigating the cause and could not give a timeline for restoring services. It advised customers to switch their mobile network settings to 4G while the disruptions continued.

The outages also affected services offered by other mobile operators that use “NTT Docomo’s” network. The company said it was checking whether emergency calls had been affected.

Separately, “NTT Docomo” suspended its online shop and My Docomo customer portal after concluding that an outside party had likely gained unauthorised access to its servers.

The suspension began early Wednesday and prevented customers from signing up for mobile plans, checking bills or changing their contracts.

The operator said it remained unclear whether the suspected unauthorised access was connected to the nationwide mobile service disruptions.