Asia

NTT Docomo restores 5G SA after 14-hour disruption in Japan

The November 5–6 incident affected voice, data and SMS for 5G SA subscribers. Docomo attributed it to congestion in switching equipment.

NTT Docomo said it restored the affected service at 1:20 a.m. on November 6 Japan time, after a disruption that began at 11:18 a.m. the previous day. For about 14 hours, customers subscribed to 5G SA had difficulty using voice calls, data and SMS across the country. The operator described the affected area as nationwide, but did not say how many customers were affected. [1][2]

The company attributed the incident to congestion in switching equipment serving 5G SA subscribers. It said its investigation up to the restoration notice found no signs of unauthorized access or a cyberattack. That is the operator’s finding, not an external audit. Docomo said it had completed recovery measures and confirmed normal service. [1][2]

Docomo limited the scope: it said emergency calls, 4G service, 5G users without an SA subscription and mobile virtual operators using its network were unaffected. ITmedia and K-tai Watch, which have different owners, reported the scope based on company notices; their coverage is not an independent measurement of the number of users affected. The image shows a Docomo building in Tokyo in 2025 and is an archive photo, not a picture of the faulty equipment. [1][2][3]

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