Sonera customers suffered a prolonged service break on Tuesday that affected phone calls, text messaging and data connections. The disruption began at 5.00am and was eventually corrected by mid-afternoon. Sonera said the disturbances followed a routine software update to the mobile network.
Communications watchdog Ficora said that with modern society dependent on electronic communications and data transfers, such services should be guaranteed as far as possible. Sonera’s lengthy service blackout caused the authority to sit up a take note.
"We take this very seriously. Such a continuous number of malfunctions gives us legitimate cause to thoroughly investigate what is behind this and to intervene in deficiencies," said Jarkko Saarimäki, director of Ficora’s cyber security centre.
Saarimäki said that the authority is now awaiting a Sonera report on the matter. It will then be in a position to evaluate whether current requirements are being met or if it should impose stricter obligations on the teleoperator.
"Nowadays it is necessary to duplicate critical network components. If one fails, we can use the other," Saarimäki explained. The cyber security chief said it’s not yet known whether or not Sonera prepared adequately for a disruption, as it is required to.
Ficora: "Customers can vote with their wallets"
If the authority finds that Sonera has not complied with the relevant regulations, Ficora can compel the teleoperator to address its shortcomings. A heftier sanction would be a fine.
"Customers can also vote with their wallets. Quality of service is an important selection criterion in choosing a service provider," Saarimäki noted.
The Ficora spokesman pointed out that uninterrupted service is as important for private individuals as it is for businesses. Saarimäki said that the disruption experienced Tuesday could also pose concrete health risks for certain customer groups. The most vulnerable includes individuals such as the elderly, who may need emergency services.
"Someone might not make an emergency call because they think that the mobile network isn’t working," he observed.
Routine update causes network crash
At 5.00 Tuesday morning Sonera performed a routine update on its mobile network. Technicians noticed that once the update was complete the network failed to operate as usual.
"The entire national customer base was affected," said Tommi Säilä of Sonera.
According to Säilä, at its worst the disruption meant that half of phone calls and text messages didn’t go through.
The company said that it makes dozens of similar updates every month. Säilä said he couldn’t yet say why this particular update caused the network crash.
"The mobile network is rather complex. Rapid network expansion and changes in the way we live have created additional management challenges," he said.
Säilä said it was essential to keep customers and officials informed about the situation and said it was unfortunate that customers were inconvenienced by the disturbances.
"We want to keep the network in as good condition as possible, and we do everything in our power to minimise irregularities," he added.
