Nationwide disorder in digital radio: police and fire brigade on alert!

Nationwide disorder in digital radio: police and fire brigade on alert!

On May 6, 2025, a nationwide radio disorder in the digital radio of the authorities was found. This disorder particularly affects the police, fire brigade and emergency services that are connected via the BOS digital radio network. The Federal Ministry of the Interior confirmed the incidents, but the exact causes remain unclear so far. His spokesman explained that the extent of the disorder and whether it is a technical defect or possibly a targeted attack are still being examined.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, the police reported just a few restrictions. A spokesman for the NRW Ministry of the Interior confirmed that there were only isolated disorders, including problems with collecting colleagues. There were occasional broken conversations or poor voice quality. Despite these challenges, the police capability in North Rhine-Westphalia is not restricted. In Cologne, digital radio also failed for about 15 minutes, but was quickly restored.

Effect of the disorder and reactions of the authorities

The nationwide disorder had already been confirmed by the Federal Institute for Digital radio of the authorities and organizations with security tasks (BDBOS). This institution works with the greatest priority of the cause research. The BDBOS operates over 5,000 base stations that cover around 99.2 percent of the German country area. The system thus enables comprehensive and cross -organizational communication.

In several federal states, including Saxony and Berlin, restrictions on digital radio were found. Despite these problems, the affected fire brigades and police emphasize that their operational capacity is not at risk. This is ensured by the use of alternative means of communication, such as relapse levels. In Bavaria, certain services were again switched to older analog radio to maintain critical lines of communication.

criticism of the digital infrastructure

The police union has referred to the disorder as a "super-gau" for the security authorities and warns of possible weaknesses in the state radio. The Berlin head of the police union (GdP) also expressed concerns about the susceptibility of the digital infrastructure, especially in times when the dependence on monopolitaries grows. Such a situation could cause serious problems in larger disaster cases because communication between the authorities is affected.

The situation remains tense because the causes of the disorder are still unclear. The Interior Ministry of North Rhine-Westphalia regularly provides information about the developments and has passed on the current reports to all police departments. The location is closely monitored to ensure that the emergency services can also perform their tasks at any time during the disorder.