Residents in Denmark are grappling with a major telecoms outage that’s disrupting phone calls, including crucial emergency calls to 112.

TDC, the largest telecoms provider in Denmark, appears to be experiencing a service disruption crisis affecting thousands of its customers. This disruption is believed to have been initiated by a software update carried out on Wednesday.

However, in the context of Denmark’s support of Ukraine and the ongoing situation in which the Danish Navy shadowed, boarded, and detained the Chinese ship Yi Peng 3 – that departed from a Russian port and is suspected to have severed the ‘BCS’ and ‘C-Lion1’ subsea internet cables – there’s no shortage of speculation around external involvement.

The ongoing issue has pushed TDC into the spotlight as the company scrambles to determine the precise cause. In response, TDC says it’s reviewing its procedures to avert a recurrence of similar incidents moving forward.

Despite the gravity of the situation, TDC has yet to pinpoint exactly when normal service will resume; however, the company assures that the outage is not expected to drag on for multiple days.

The impact of the outage has compelled local authorities to take swift action. On the island of Funen, police have deployed every available patrol vehicle as a direct call line for residents. With conventional phone lines down, officers are encouraging those in need to physically approach police patrols if unable to establish contact via phone.

In the face of this outage in Denmark, customers with broadband internet access are being advised to utilise alternative communication methods such as FaceTime and Facebook Messenger to stay connected.

TDC says it has instigated a temporary measure intended to restore some level of service. Despite compromised sound quality, this stopgap “allows customers to make calls to a greater extent,” providing a glimmer of hope as TDC works towards a full resolution.

(Photo by Serge Taeymans)

See also: Chinese hackers breach telcos in espionage campaign

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