Communication outage
Communication often fails during power outages. Generally, various information and communication services at home rely on the same provider. This means that you should be prepared for the simultaneous loss of mobile and landline telephone connections, text messaging, internet, and television.
How to prepare for a communication outage?
- Write down the phone numbers of the most important contacts you may need to reach in an emergency (family members, close friends, neighbours, emergency and information services). Contacts stored on your mobile phone will be inaccessible once the battery runs out.
- Subscribe to mobile internet. Mobile internet will work as long as the backup power for the network is operational and your device has battery life. In the event of a major power outage, mobile internet services may be switched off to prioritise mobile calls. In a widespread power failure, mobile signal could be lost within a few hours.
- A power outage will disrupt landline services. If there is a widespread power failure or mobile internet outage, avoid unnecessary phone calls and do not overload networks. Only communicate when absolutely necessary.
- Get a battery-powered, wind-up, or solar-powered radio. You can also listen to news on your car radio. Stock up on batteries, rechargeable batteries, power banks, solar-powered chargers, etc. Ensure that your power banks are always fully charged.
- Familiarise yourself with how to access free-to-air television channels. These channels can be viewed using an indoor or rooftop antenna.
- Find out where the nearest emergency locations are in case you need to go there for help or to call for assistance, such as a resilience centre, fire station, police station, hospital.
- Keep enough cash at home to cover a week's expenses, as mobile payments and card transactions may not work if the data network is down.
- Discuss with your family where you will meet if you are unable to contact each other.
