JP — ITmedia

Docomo suffers nationwide network outage, making calls and data hard to use

PolicyNovember 5, 20261 min read

NTT Docomo, a major Japanese phone company, had a nationwide outage on November 5, 2026. Calls, data, and text messages became hard to use for many customers.

What happened

At around noon on November 5, Docomo said that mobile phone service was hard to use across Japan. Voice calls, data, and SMS (text messages) were all affected. Customers of MVNOs (smaller phone companies that use Docomo's network) were also hit at first. Later, Docomo corrected this: only customers with a "5G SA" contract were affected. Docomo said it was still checking when the problem began and whether emergency calls were affected. It also said it would share a recovery time later. Earlier that morning, Docomo had stopped its online shop and My docomo website. It said there was a high chance that someone had accessed them from outside without permission.

Key facts

The outage was reported around noon on November 5, 2026.
Affected services: voice calls, data, and SMS.
Correction at 3:20 p.m.: only "5G SA" contract holders are affected, not all MVNO users.
A possible workaround reported: switch to 4G and restart the phone.

Background

5G SA is a type of 5G network that works on its own, without help from older 4G equipment. Docomo's online shop and My docomo site were shut down the same morning to look into possible unauthorized access. The article does not say whether the two events are linked.

Why it matters

Phone service is needed for calls to family, for messages, and for emergency calls. When a whole country loses service, many people cannot reach help or get information. The fact that the company also shut down its websites shows that it is worried about security.

What to watch

When Docomo shares the start time and cause of the outage.
Whether emergency calls were affected, and how much.
When service is fully back for 5G SA customers.
Whether Docomo confirms that outside hackers were involved.

Glossary

Docomo: NTT Docomo, a major Japanese mobile phone company.
MVNO: A phone company that does not own its own network. It rents service from a larger company like Docomo.
5G SA: A 5G network type that runs on its own, without older 4G equipment.
SMS: Short Message Service, the system for sending short text messages.
My docomo: Docomo's online account site where customers manage their contracts.
4G: The mobile network generation before 5G.

Bucheon Arts Center to Conduct Joint Study with Sogang University on Operations, Management Performance, and Growth Challenges

Bucheon Arts Center has signed an agreement with Sogang University's Graduate School of Virtual Convergence to diagnose its operations and management performance and identify future growth challenges. The two institutions plan to find improvement tasks for operational efficiency and explore sustainable growth for performing arts, with research findings and staff training to be shared.

Policy전자신문Nov 5

Public SW Seeks Breakthrough for 'Fair Pricing'; Industry Urges Faster Improvement of National Contract System

Yang Chang-ho, head of the Public Industry Policy Research Institute, proposed clarifying that procuring agencies are responsible for estimating workload and speeding up national contract system reforms so public software projects receive fair pay. He urged using function points (FP) as the basis for scope changes and contract adjustments, through bidding that lists workloads and unit prices, and presented the proposal at a Korea IT Service Industry Association (ITSA) board meeting.

PolicyTechCrunchNov 5

After the midterms, a bigger clash over data centers could be coming

Democrats' full control of Congress after the November 3 midterms could bring new limits on where data centers can be built and how much say local communities have. An NBC exit poll found nearly 80% of respondents opposed data centers in their neighborhoods, and almost 60% said data centers were a crucial or major factor in their vote. Voters in states such as Ohio, Texas, and Georgia pushed back against the AI buildout, and proposals ranging from construction moratoriums to grid-cost protections are under discussion.