If your internet, electricity or mobile service suddenly stops, protect people first, then establish a working way to receive information and contact help. A service interruption alone does not prove a cyberattack: the FCC described a July 2025 provider outage as a cyber incident, while its investigation of the February 22, 2024 AT&T outage found an equipment-configuration error instead. Treat the cause as unconfirmed until your provider, utility or emergency officials say otherwise. Call 911 for immediate danger; if the call fails, use another working phone or a safe route to emergency help. Then separate the outage into internet, power, mobile or multiple failures and follow the branch that matches what still works.
What should I do in the first few minutes?
Start with life safety, not troubleshooting. Look for fire, smoke, downed lines, dangerous temperatures, medical-device interruptions and anyone who needs urgent care.
- Attempt emergency help. Call 911 when there is immediate danger. If the call does not connect, try another genuinely working phone, ask a neighbor or business for help, or travel only by a safe route to an emergency facility. Do not assume SOS mode, Wi-Fi calling, a messaging app or text-to-911 will work everywhere. The FCC documented failed 911 attempts during a major outage, and its AT&T investigation described phones showing SOS that could reach another network in some circumstances but not the affected network.
- Check for electrical hazards. Never touch a fallen power line. Move people away from damaged equipment, sparks, smoke and standing water near electrical systems.
- Identify what failed. Check whether only home Wi-Fi is down, whether the modem has power, whether household electricity is out, whether mobile voice/text/data work, and whether neighbors have the same problem.
- Use your written contact plan. Keep important numbers on paper, two meeting places (one nearby and one outside the neighborhood), and an out-of-town contact. A short text can be worth trying when a voice call fails, but delivery is not guaranteed.
Do not spend critical minutes rebooting a router while someone needs medical or emergency assistance. CISA warns that cyber incidents can also disrupt emergency communications centers, so a second route to help matters.
Is my internet down because of a cyberattack?
You cannot determine the cause from a home outage alone. A failed modem, fiber cut, weather event, configuration mistake, power loss or malicious attack can look identical to a household user.
- Check the provider’s official status page, app, recorded hotline or verified social account through any connection that still works.
- Ask a neighbor on the same provider whether service is also unavailable; this distinguishes a local Wi-Fi problem from a wider interruption, but it does not identify the cause.
- Do not treat a historical incident as proof of a current one. The FCC’s July 11, 2025 Cellcom notice used the provider’s description of a cyber incident, while the FCC attributed the February 22, 2024 AT&T outage to an equipment configuration error.
- Write down the time, symptoms and official messages. This helps when reporting the problem and prevents you from relying on rumors.
A router battery or UPS can keep your modem and router powered during a household power failure only if the provider’s outside network is still operating. It cannot repair a damaged carrier network or turn an outage into evidence of an attack.
What if the internet fails but power remains?
Use remaining connectivity carefully and preserve phone batteries. A working cellular connection is an option, not an assumption: a carrier incident can affect voice, text and data together.
- Connect a phone to cellular data, if it works, and open the provider’s status channel. Avoid repeated video streaming, automatic backups and large downloads.
- Use a charged power bank and the correct cable. Keep one phone reserved for emergency calls rather than letting every device reach zero.
- Restart networking equipment once, using the manufacturer’s normal power cycle. If the provider reports a wider outage, repeated resets will not accelerate restoration.
- Switch to an offline information source, such as a battery-powered or hand-crank emergency radio, if online channels become unavailable. Radio reception and broadcasting still depend on local conditions.
Do not install “outage repair” software or accept unsolicited remote-access offers. A computer-cleanup utility cannot restore a carrier or utility network.
What if the power fails?
Handle electricity as a separate physical-safety emergency, whether or not a cyberattack is suspected.
Light, charging and heat
- Use a battery-powered flashlight or lantern instead of candles.
- Bring out charged power banks and suitable phone, medical-device and radio chargers. A vehicle connection can recharge small devices when the vehicle is outdoors and safely operated; never run a vehicle in a garage or enclosed space.
- Plan for heat or cold. Check on children, older adults, pets and anyone whose health depends on stable temperature.
Generator rules
Operate a generator outdoors, at least 20 feet from doors, windows and vents, and use a battery-powered or battery-backup carbon-monoxide alarm. Never run a generator, grill or fuel-burning appliance inside a home, garage, basement or other enclosed area. Follow the generator manual for grounding, load limits, fuel storage and transfer-switch requirements; do not connect it to household wiring through an improvised cord.
Food and water
Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. The CDC says a closed refrigerator keeps food safe for up to four hours, while a full closed freezer remains cold for approximately 48 hours without power. Those are safety limits, not a promise that every item will remain safe; discard food that has been held at unsafe temperatures or has an uncertain history, following local health guidance.
Use local utility or emergency notices for drinking-water advisories, boil-water instructions and sewage problems. Store water and shelf-stable food in amounts appropriate for your household, and keep a refrigerator/freezer thermometer so you can make a temperature-based decision when power returns.
What if mobile service fails?
Try independent routes rather than repeating the same failed action. Voice calls, ordinary SMS and internet messaging use different systems, but one incident can disrupt more than one.
- Attempt a brief text to your household’s out-of-town contact. CDC guidance says, “In many cases, text messages will go through when a phone call may not,” but a documented carrier incident affected both calls and texts, so treat SMS as a possibility, not a guarantee.
- Try a voice call once, then conserve battery. If the phone displays SOS, do not assume it can connect; capability depends on the networks available at that location and the nature of the outage.
- For an emergency, call 911. If it fails, use another carrier’s working phone only if one is genuinely available, or reach emergency help by a safe in-person route. Do not assume text-to-911 is supported in every area.
- Use the agreed meeting places if household members cannot communicate. Leave a written note only where it will remain safe and visible.
An emergency radio can deliver official broadcasts without cellular or internet service, but it needs its own power and a receivable signal. A provider app or website can provide detailed account information only while a working data path exists.
Which backup route should I use?
Choose the route that is independent of the failed equipment and still works locally.
| Need | Possible route | What it requires | Important limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official information | Battery-powered or hand-crank emergency radio | Charged batteries or a working hand crank and receivable broadcast | Local reception and broadcasting may be unavailable |
| Provider details | Provider website, app or hotline | Working internet, mobile data or telephone path | A carrier outage can affect voice, text and data together |
| Person-to-person contact | Voice call, brief SMS or internet message | The corresponding network must be functioning | No route is guaranteed during a multi-system incident |
| Small-device power | Phone power bank or available vehicle connection | Charged bank, compatible cable or safely operated vehicle | Supports limited devices and does not restore an external network |
| Household power | Properly installed and operated generator | Outdoor placement, fuel, CO alarm and correctly rated connections | Misuse can cause fire, electrocution or fatal carbon-monoxide poisoning |
How do I manage an outage lasting several hours or days?
Move from immediate response to a written priority list. Recheck official instructions as conditions change.
- Medical needs: Identify refrigerated medicines, oxygen, powered mobility equipment, dialysis arrangements and other devices. Call the prescribing clinician, equipment supplier or local emergency-management service through a working route for specific instructions; do not guess how long a medicine or device can remain without its required conditions.
- Temperature: Relocate vulnerable people to a safe place with power or cooling/heating. Never heat a room with a stove, grill or generator.
- Food: Keep doors closed, record the time power failed and use thermometer readings when deciding what to keep.
- Water: Follow municipal advisories. If water pressure drops or an advisory is issued, use stored or commercially packaged water as directed.
- Information: Conserve radio and phone power, write down announcements, and verify dramatic claims through more than one official channel.
- Neighbors: Check on people who live alone or rely on powered medical equipment, while avoiding unsafe travel or entry into damaged buildings.
Is this service-restoration text real?
Treat an unexpected demand for payment, account verification or “reconnection” as potentially fraudulent. The FTC’s consumer guidance is direct: “Never click links in unexpected messages.”
- Do not click the message’s link, open an attachment or call the number supplied in the message.
- Find the provider’s contact details on a prior bill, official statement or site you type yourself.
- Ask whether your address is affected and whether any payment or identity action is actually required.
- Report suspected fraud through the appropriate consumer-protection channel and warn household members.
A legitimate restoration notice should be confirmable through an established provider or utility channel. An outage does not create a reason to bypass normal account-security procedures.
What should I do when service returns?
Restore safely and confirm the source of the information before changing account settings.
- Verify restoration through the provider’s established website, app, hotline or utility announcement, not an unsolicited link.
- Check household members, medical equipment and temperatures before resuming normal activity.
- Inspect for electrical damage, unusual smells, wet outlets or downed lines. Leave damaged systems off and contact the utility or a qualified professional.
- Recharge phones, power banks, radios, lanterns and backup alarms.
- Review the written contact plan: update numbers, replace expired supplies and note which routes worked or failed.
- Change passwords only when an official notice or confirmed compromise requires it, using a trusted connection and multifactor authentication where available.
What belongs in a household outage kit?
Keep supplies where everyone can find them, and check them at least twice a year.
- Paper contact list, meeting-place instructions and out-of-town contact
- Battery-powered or hand-crank emergency radio with spare batteries
- Charged portable phone power bank and compatible cables
- Battery-powered flashlight or lantern
- Battery-backup carbon-monoxide alarm and working smoke alarms
- Refrigerator/freezer thermometer
- Several days of water and shelf-stable food, adjusted for household size and local guidance
- Medication list, basic first-aid supplies and plans for refrigerated medicines or powered medical devices
- Provider and utility account numbers copied from bills, without storing passwords in an exposed location
Preparedness reduces dependence on any single network, but it cannot guarantee communications or a universal restoration time. During a suspected cyberattack, follow the same immediate safety priorities as any outage and rely on verified local instructions for the evolving cause and response.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I call 911 when my phone says SOS?
Try the call, but an SOS indicator does not guarantee a successful connection. If it fails, use another working phone or a safe in-person route to emergency help, and do not assume text-to-911 is available in your area.
Will texts work if calls won’t?
They may: public-health guidance says short texts often pass when voice calls do not. However, some carrier incidents have disrupted both services, so keep meeting places and another contact route in your plan.
How do I get updates without internet or power?
A battery-powered or hand-crank radio can receive local broadcasts when it has power and a usable signal. Keep provider and utility numbers on paper, and conserve phone batteries for official calls or messages.
How long will food last without power?
CDC guidance gives up to four hours for a closed refrigerator and about 48 hours for a full closed freezer. Actual safety depends on temperature, how often doors opened and the food’s condition; use a thermometer and local health advice.
What should renters do before using a generator?
Check the lease, local rules and the generator manual, and ask the property manager about approved connections. Never place a generator indoors or near doors, windows or vents; carbon monoxide can accumulate even when a door is partly open.