On July 13th, several users reported on social media that there was a widespread service disruption on the mobile network of China Broadcasting Corporation in Tianjin (Tianjin Broadcasting Corporation), with phones experiencing long periods of no signal, inability to access the internet or make calls, and difficulties in reaching customer service. The topic “Tianjin Broadcasting Corporation is down” quickly became the number one trending topic on Weibo on the afternoon of the 13th.
Videos on social media showed that when calling the customer service hotline 96596 on the afternoon of the 13th, calls were either ended immediately or went unanswered. Local users in Tianjin also raised similar concerns on the same day, focusing on issues such as poor signal quality, slow internet speed, and some users even mentioned switching to other networks.
According to feedback from netizens, the network anomalies started around 2:20 pm on July 13th and lasted for several hours. Many users expressed frustration and confusion on social media, with some mistakenly thinking their phones were unpaid, while others mentioned the impact on their daily lives due to inability to clock in or losing contact, questioning the lack of emergency plans and timely announcements from the service provider.
An internet user located in Tianjin with the IP address “Please_Speak_Dismantling_King_of_Ten_Thousand_Beasts_Edition” stated, “Coordinates Tianjin, all classmates’ broadcasting cards have had no signal since 2:20 pm, couldn’t clock in, couldn’t send messages or make calls. I’m currently using China Unicom to post this, what’s going on with Broadcasting Corporation?”
Another Tianjin netizen, “Golden_Carp_Possessed,” said, “I thought it was because I didn’t pay my bill.”
Tianjin netizen “Brave_Sea_Lion_Learn_Skills” commented, “I can’t even access any apps.”
Another Tianjin netizen, “Forever_Immersed_in_the_Worldly_Fireworks,” mentioned, “I called the business office, they said they are fixing it, asked us to wait.”
Tianjin netizen “Zhang_Zhiming_collecting_cigarettes_everywhere” shared, “Beijing Broadcasting told me that there was a malfunction in the upper layer (didn’t specify which one) node in the Tianjin area, causing a global breakdown. They are fixing it, but we don’t know when it will be resolved.”
Some netizens in Nankai District and Wuqing District of Tianjin stated that Tianjin Broadcasting Corporation had collapsed entirely, with phones being unable to make calls in the afternoon.
Some netizens received information from China Broadcasting Corporation explaining that there was a concentrated network failure and they were conducting emergency repairs.
Some netizens speculated that the equipment may have been damaged due to a typhoon, but current information does not mention any typhoon weather in Tianjin on that day.
There were also rumors among netizens that “Tianjin Broadcasting Corporation is running away,” but as of now, there has been no official announcement regarding the cause of the malfunction.
Some netizens complained that broadcasting stations across the country are basically in a dormant state, only airing pharmaceutical ads or repeatedly showing old TV dramas for six episodes in a row. Apart from a few fixed news programs, even the staff themselves hardly watch the broadcasts anymore.