site.btaTechnical Difficulties Affecting 2G, 3G Network of Mobile Operator A1 Fixed in Matter of Hours

Mobile operator A1 had technical difficulties which caused interferences with outgoing and incoming calls and text messages in various parts of the country on Tuesday. The glitch was fixed later in the day, the company said on its website.

The operator advised its customers to restart their phones if they were still experiencing any issues.

The glitch came four days after another mobile operator, Vivacom, had technical problems.

Before A1 reported the glitch, subscribers alerted BTA that there was a problem with A1's services. The company told the national news agency that only its 2G and 3G networks were affected, and calls could be made via VoLTE and VoWIFI.

National Assembly Transport and Communications Committee Chair Kiril Dobrev explained that the issues in Bulgaria’s telecom sector are technical and have no connection to cyber-attacks. Dobrev told journalists in the Assembly’s corridors that the situation in Bulgaria is not related to the massive power outage in Spain.

On April 25, telecom operator Vivacom experienced technical problems in its mobile network that affected its voice communication and internet services. Vivacom told BTA that the issues were caused by a software update carried out by a supplier of the company.

According to Dobrev, the issues at A1 were different from those experienced by Vivacom. He noted that the problem at A1 affected far fewer people. "I am in regular contact with the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC), and they have prepared a report," Dobrev said in his remarks to journalists on Tuesday.

The Socialist MP urged subscribers to defend their rights and seek compensation. "I encourage everyone to take action. If anyone experiences issues, the BSP–United Left website will provide a form to submit complaints," Dobrev said. He added that this form could be used for both group and individual claims.