Are You Ready for an Internet Apocalypse?

Wildfire blackouts, hurricane wipeouts, shutdowns by the government, and even solar storms can make your internet disappear in an instant. What if it’s not coming back for days… or weeks?

While it might sound like something out of a dystopian film, internet outages are more likely than you think. We spoke with Steve Krupp, CEO of Trifecta Wireless, to find out just how vulnerable we are and how to prepare.

"Generally, when it comes to planning for an internet outage, you’ll only be planning for a regional/local outage. Global internet outages are an extremely low year-over-year probability (as has been modeled by numerous researchers)," Krupp explains.

The chances of a local or regional internet blackout really come down to two things: where you are and what kind of internet you have. Here in the U.S., hurricanes and flooding are the most common culprits behind big outages.

Take Puerto Rico, for example — the power grid there is a bit shaky, so after a hurricane, folks can be without internet (and power) for days, sometimes weeks. Now compare that with Florida, where post-hurricane recovery is usually much quicker — the internet is often back within a week, give or take the storm’s severity, according to Krupp.

At the end of the day, it’s all about the risk in your area (whether it’s hurricanes, wildfires, flooding, or tornadoes) and the type of connection you’re using (fiber, wireless, cellular, or satellite). And let’s be real: if your whole area is down, the internet’s just one piece of the puzzle.

Here’s a look at some power and internet outage history:

• In 2024, there were 296 outages in 54 countries caused by their own government, conflicts and sabotage, according to a study by Access Now. In total, there have been 1,754 shutdowns since 2016.
• According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 70% of electric lines in the U.S. are over 25 years old, nearing the end of their 50–80-year lifecycle. This ailing infrastructure can lead to power outages, susceptibility to cyber-attacks, and more. An outage would take out your Wi-Fi.
• 80% (1,755) of major U.S. power outages from 2000 to 2023 were due to weather, according to Climate Central.
• While writing this article, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a warning that solar flares could be affecting satellite transmissions, potentially leading to internet outages.

When Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina, the result was devastating. There were nearly 4 million power outages and an estimated $200 billion in damage.

“When Hurricane Helene ravaged through North Carolina last year, it caused widespread outages across all sectors: internet, electricity, food, water, transport, and the list goes on, nothing was working properly,” says Krupp. This included above-ground and below-ground fiber lines, antenna clusters, and cell towers. There was a widespread blackout across all internet channels.

Trifecta Wireless partnered with Chazak Rescue, a non-profit disaster response group, to bring internet access back to affected areas. But Starlink made the biggest impact. "Hurricane Helene was one of those situations where Starlink was far and above the best option available during the aftermath. I personally know of over 100 Starlink dishes that were donated during the relief efforts to local fire stations, churches, shelters, you name it," says Krupp.

Starlink is the best option for a widespread, large-scale outage that has taken out all local connectivity. Because this communicates with satellites, you can have it in a place where there’s no electricity and still get high-speed internet.

The main drawback is that it requires a clear line-of-sight to the sky, which isn’t always possible. Also, during poor weather, it may experience disconnections and connectivity issues. 

Having this for a fail-over solution is quite expensive (to the tune of $1,440 per year in service costs), and for most people, that is going to be prohibitive. However, you can replace your existing internet connection with Starlink, and know that as long as you have a clear line-of-sight to the sky and a power source, you’ll have an internet connection.

Cellular-based internet is a more affordable option and offers significantly more flexibility. You can buy a hotspot and, as needed, purchase a small data package and have an alternative internet option if your main connection goes down. Cellular has three main advantages over Starlink: more flexible pricing, greater reliability in stormy weather, and no need for a clear line-of-sight to the sky. 

However, the drawbacks are that if the cell tower is getting upgrades, or goes down due to bad weather, or even if the fiber line to the cell tower is cut, you’ll be without internet. Several of those risks can be mitigated by having a multi-carrier router. Multi-carrier routers can connect to multiple carriers in the U.S., so if one carrier's tower is down, they will automatically switch to another carrier with a tower in your area. 

If you want to stay online no matter what, even after severe disasters, Starlink is your go-to. You can take it pretty much anywhere, and as long as you’ve got a clear view of the sky, you’ll be connected. It’s not cheap — about $120 a month, plus some upfront equipment costs — and yes, the dish is a bit bulky, but for total coverage, it’s hard to beat.

Now, if you’re looking for something more budget-friendly and portable, cellular-based internet is a great option — especially during rough weather. Most carriers offer low-cost plans you can turn on and off as needed. Or, if you want even more reliability, you can go with a multi-carrier setup, which taps into all three major networks and gives you unlimited data.

The one caveat with cellular? If you're hit with a really severe event — like a major hurricane — cell towers can be down for days or even weeks. It’s rare, but it happens. So if you need the most dependable connection possible, especially in emergencies, Starlink’s your safest bet, says Krupp.

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