Massive telecom outage in Japan kicks 40 million mobile users offline
The company advised users take up retro tech in the form of landlines or payphones in the case of an emergency.
Landline subscriptions in Japan decreased by ten million in the years between 2014 and 2020, according toPublic phones are also on the decline. However, while some major cities have completely removed payphones to make way for contemporary infrastructure – likethis past May – Japan retains a number of affordable public phones as a service to its citizens.
Only last November Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications eased requirements mandating the existence of public phones to closer reflect modern times and the decline in their use. Instead of requiring a public phone be installed every 500 square meters in urban areas and every square kilometer in other locations, they are now required every square kilometer in urban areas, and every two kilometers in other places, according toThe thought behind the continued existence of public phones is that they could come in handy in an earthquake, tsunami, or other natural disaster. Or, as experience has now proved, in the case of an"equipment failure".
The disruption comes just days before an election for the upper house of Japan's parliament on July 10. Incumbent prime minister Fumio Kishida's re-election agenda includes commitments to improve digital infrastructure – which suddenly seems awfully topical.Share
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