The massive 8.9 earthquake that rocked the region surrounding Japan yesterday has created problems for the nation’s three largest wireless operators.
NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and SoftBank are all reporting compromised services across many of the primary regions they collectively serve in Japan. All are indicating possible damage to their telecommunications facilities as well. ”Wireless connections are poor across the country,” said Atsuko Suzuki, a spokeswoman for NTT DoCoMo. ”Phone services across Tohoku, Kanto and Tokai regions are increasingly bad,” said Softbank spokeswoman Makiko Ariyama in a separate statement.
The loss of reliable wireless communication networks across the region are adding further complication to relief efforts. The quake struck at 2:46 p.m. local time 81 miles off the coast of Sendai north of Tokyo, at a depth of 24 kilometers, the USGS said. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued its highest tsunami warning for the country’s northeast coast as a result.