Cologne – NetCologne users faced significant connectivity issues on Wednesday. This caused frustration for many. They rely on the provider for internet and phone services. There was a particularly alarming consequence. Emergency hotlines 112 and 110 were disrupted. This left landline callers in Cologne unable to reach first responders.
Reports of outages began flooding online platforms around 9:30 a.m., with “Netzwelt” identifying several major cities affected, including:
- Cologne
- Düsseldorf
- Erkrath
- Wuppertal
- Essen
- Hanover
- Frankfurt am Main
- Esslingen am Neckar
Adding to the frustration, NetCologne’s official website was also inaccessible. In a Facebook update, the company acknowledged a “major disruption” affecting services and assured customers they were investigating the issue.
On the outage-tracking site allestörungen.de, user complaints skyrocketed. They jumped from the usual handful of reports to a staggering 4,488 within just 15 minutes between 9:21 a.m. and 9:35 a.m. The surge continued throughout the morning, with the highest number of reports originating from Cologne, Düsseldorf, Bonn, and Aachen. NetCologne’s subsidiary, NetAachen, also experienced disruptions in the Aachen region.
The impact extended beyond internet and phone services, creating a potentially dangerous situation for those needing urgent help. Cologne’s fire department confirmed that emergency numbers were unreachable for NetCologne users. They advised residents to switch to alternative networks. Using the NORA emergency call app was also recommended. In the Düren district, authorities issued a similar warning for those on NetCologne and NetAachen networks.
Authorities and service providers are working to resolve the issue. However, no estimated time for a full restoration has been provided. Users are advised to stay updated via mobile networks or alternative communication channels.
