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How to Keep Your Internet Working During a Power Cut
How to keep a router, fibre ONT and digital communications working during a power cut using a UPS, DC backup or portable power station.
Read this first →Emergency technology
Emergency technology, without the gimmicks.
5G backup, SIMs, VPNs, radios, satellite communications and practical electronics for staying informed and connected when normal systems are disrupted.
Understand
What counts as useful emergency technology?
Emergency technology is useful when it removes a specific point of failure. A 5G router gives you another internet route, a UPS keeps networking equipment powered, a radio receives information without relying on broadband, and satellite equipment can provide communication beyond normal mobile coverage.
The important part is understanding the dependency behind every gadget. A 5G router still needs a working mobile network and electricity. A VPN still needs an internet connection. A satellite communicator still needs battery power, an active service and a suitable view of the sky.
Global Cry therefore treats emergency technology as a system rather than a collection of impressive devices. Start with the communication problem, understand what the product depends on, then decide whether it genuinely adds another layer of resilience.
Start with three questions
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Which connection, information source or communication route are you trying to protect or replace?
02
What does the technology itself depend on — mains power, mobile coverage, a subscription, an app or a clear view of the sky?
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Does it give you a genuinely different fallback, or simply duplicate something you already have?
Start here
Useful first reads.
These guides establish the basics before you move into narrower product or problem-specific articles.
02
Satellite Phone vs Smartphone Satellite SOS: What’s the Difference?
Dedicated satellite voice, smartphone emergency SOS and satellite messengers solve different problems. Here is what UK users should know.
Read this first →Relevant gear
Emergency technology gear, grouped by purpose.
Products are grouped by the job they do, so you can move from understanding the subject to the right equipment type without browsing an unrelated catalogue.
Backup internet
Routers and backup power that keep a second household connection route available.
APC BACK-UPS ES BE850G2-UK 850VA
UPS option for keeping suitable low-power electronics such as networking equipment running through short outages.
Information & radio
Independent ways to receive information when normal internet services are unreliable.
Roberts SOLARDAB99 Solar & Wind-up Portable Radio
Portable FM/DAB/DAB+ radio with solar and wind-up charging for power cuts and emergency kits.
Power for communications
Compact backup energy for phones and communications equipment.
Anker 10,000mAh 30W Power Bank
Compact USB-C backup for phone charging, travel and smaller emergency kits.
Anker Zolo 20,000mAh 30W Power Bank
Higher-capacity USB-C backup for phones, travel and general emergency charging.
Explore further
All Emergency technology articles.
Use these articles when you are ready to answer a specific question, compare equipment or solve a particular problem.
PAYG SIM vs Contract SIM for Emergency Backup Internet
PAYG or contract for a backup router? Compare standby cost, inactivity rules, data allowances, renewal and the value of a second mobile network.
Read article →Best PAYG Data SIMs for Backup Internet in the UK: What to Compare
How to choose a UK PAYG or prepaid data SIM for a backup router, including coverage, inactivity, data expiry, 5G access and network diversity.
Read article →Should Your Backup SIM Use a Different Mobile Network?
Why network diversity can matter for backup internet, how MVNOs complicate the picture, and why no consumer setup guarantees service in a major outage.
Read article →Do You Need a Satellite Phone for Emergency Preparedness?
Who genuinely benefits from a satellite phone, when a satellite messenger or smartphone SOS is enough, and what ownership involves.
Read article →Satellite Phone vs Smartphone Satellite SOS: What’s the Difference?
Dedicated satellite voice, smartphone emergency SOS and satellite messengers solve different problems. Here is what UK users should know.
Read article →Do You Need a VPN When Travelling? What It Does — and What It Doesn’t
A practical explanation of what a VPN can protect while travelling, what it cannot do, and when it is worth using on public networks.
Read article →Best VPNs for Travel and Public Wi-Fi: What to Look For
How to compare travel VPN services without being distracted by server-count marketing, including kill switches, protocols, device limits and privacy.
Read article →Can a VPN Help During an Internet Outage?
Why a VPN cannot fix a dead internet connection, and where it still fits when you switch to mobile data, a hotspot or another backup network.
Read article →How to Keep Your Internet Working During a Power Cut
How to keep a router, fibre ONT and digital communications working during a power cut using a UPS, DC backup or portable power station.
Read article →Best Emergency Radios for the Home: 7 Features That Matter
What to look for in an emergency radio for UK power cuts, including battery options, charging and reception.
Read article →