Digital Blackout: How to Avoid Helplessness

The life of a modern person is too closely intertwined with the Internet. And here we are talking not only about the opportunity to read the latest news, scroll through the feed on social networks, watch an interesting film, show. Everything is much more global and large-scale. With all this, we have become so accustomed to online life that the border between it and reality is gradually erased. Moreover, we have come to perceive the Internet as something stable, permanent, something that was yesterday, is today and will be tomorrow.

At the same time, the problem of a global digital blackout is becoming increasingly urgent. What will happen if the Internet goes down, and not for 10 minutes or even an hour? That's when we will really see how dramatically our usual way of life can change. Of course, you shouldn't get depressed or panic in advance, but you should prepare for a potential Internet shutdown today. This is what will allow you to avoid a situation that resembles the plot of a disaster movie, when a person wakes up in the morning, reaches for his phone and sees the message “No network connection”. All applications stop working, and you simply can't even make an appointment with a doctor, order food delivery, because the online form doesn't work, you don't know the phone number, and there is no way to find it out except on the Internet.

Will a modern person be able to feel comfortable in such conditions? Hardly. And the fact that people lived without all this just a couple of decades ago will clearly not reassure anyone. But what if we say that today there are many ways to stay in touch and access the necessary information even if the Internet is disconnected? You just don’t know about them or haven’t paid enough attention to this issue.

Now we will dwell in detail on the key points that will allow you to avoid problems if the global digital blackout of 2025 becomes a reality. In particular, we will consider in more detail the reason why such an “apocalypse” may appear and what consequences it may have. We will tell you how to stay in touch without modern messengers and how to find the necessary location in a particular city without Google Maps.

We will tell you how to access entertainment without streaming platforms and even how to create some semblance of the Internet right at home. We will introduce alternative communication channels and how to find out the latest news without social networks. We will explain how you can manage your finances without specialized banking applications. We will tell you how to properly create a home offline library that will help you continue your studies, access medical reference books and much more information even without access to the network. The information provided will allow you to understand what to do in case of a serious Internet shutdown and ensure the most comfortable existence for yourself in conditions that have already become something extremely far from reality.

What is a digital blackout

By such a term as digital blackout, we mean a partial or complete shutdown of the Internet and all related services, provoked by a number of external factors. As a result, there is a temporary or long-term disconnection from online resources, which can lead to serious disruptions in the work of both an ordinary user and the company as a whole, and have a negative impact on the daily life of a modern person.

Today, the Internet can be disconnected for a number of reasons. Here are just the most likely possible problems:

1. Man-made disasters. These can be accidents at power plants, failures in the operation of data centers, damage to underwater, land, and overhead communication cables. All of these factors can cause a large-scale Internet shutdown.
2. Natural disasters. It is impossible to rule out the occurrence of natural disasters that can seriously damage key communication nodes, as a result of which the Internet connection in cities, regions, or even entire countries will be lost or disrupted.
3. Actions of Internet intruders. Every day, the actions of hackers are becoming more large-scale and sophisticated. They can be aimed at a specific person, organization, or even a country. These could be DDoS attacks on key servers, the consequences of ransomware, or targeted actions by hacker groups. All of this could even trigger a global digital blackout, which would paralyze the operation of important services and cause disruptions in the provision of certain services.
4. Censorship. Today, government intervention or actions by security services often lead to Internet shutdowns. And it is impossible to say from the start how serious the consequences of this will be, whether there will be a complete or partial restriction of access to the network.
5. Inept actions of system administrators and other specialists who have access to local or global networks. It will be enough for one "miracle specialist" to incorrectly update the software or make a mistake in the settings of the network equipment for hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people to be left without access to the Internet.

In fact, there can be many, many reasons for a digital blackout. And unfortunately, this list is expanding every day. But regardless of what its cause is, the consequences will be extremely negative for both the average user and for business representatives, government agencies, financial organizations, and more. Therefore, in order to ensure your own resilience in unforeseen circumstances, it is important to understand what to do when the Internet is disconnected. Knowing certain nuances, you can prepare in advance for such potential situations and continue working, leading a relatively normal life.

What can a digital blackout lead to

The most likely consequences of a digital blackout are the following:

• Disruption of the normal operation of businesses, government, financial, public utilities, as well as any other organizations whose activities even partially depend on the Internet. Today, almost all companies operating in the world can be classified in this category. And if there is a mass Internet shutdown, they will have to either completely stop their work, or look for workarounds.
• Socioeconomic consequences. Termination of access to the World Wide Web can lead to the fact that online stores, banking systems and any other areas that can rightfully be considered critical will stop working. This is something that will have a negative impact on the lives of modern people.
• Loss of access to important information. Connecting the Internet on a global scale can lead to people simply losing access to various online services, including news, various reference documentation, social networks and any other content.

That is, a digital blackout, even on a regional scale, not to mention a global one, is guaranteed to have a negative impact on almost all areas of modern human life. This means that everyone should take care of themselves and know what to do if the Internet does go down. But, looking ahead, we note that you cannot do without preliminary preparation.

We will talk further about how to prepare for a digital blackout and what alternative solutions the modern market offers. In particular, let's take a closer look at those niches where the Internet is used extremely actively and has a direct impact on people's comfort and well-being.

Keeping in touch without the usual messengers

How many times a day do you log into WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram? Now imagine what would happen if access to these platforms were completely blocked at one point? Most likely, you would feel completely isolated from the world and what is happening in it. Now think about what other ways there are to keep in touch? If you dig deeper, you will be surprised how many such solutions there are today.

Take SMS messages, for example. Yes, in modern conditions they certainly look like a greeting from a fairly distant past, but still, in the absence of the Internet, they will continue to work and will not leave you without communication. The fact is that text messages consume a minimum of network resources and are able to pass even when the signal is at minimum levels. But did you know that many modern operators allow you to send messages even with a zero balance? Therefore, it would not be superfluous to find out in advance whether your mobile operator offers such an option.

But SMS messages are far from the only solution for ensuring communication in the absence of the Internet. There are other options. We will consider them below.

Messengers created for local communication

Here we are talking about special applications designed to organize communication between nearby devices using Bluetooth or a local Wi-Fi network. Here are just a few of the most common solutions today:

1. Briar. This local messenger is based on the so-called "point-to-point" principle. Here, messages will be transmitted via direct connections or a removable storage medium, such as a USB flash drive. Here, when transmitting information, servers are completely excluded, the information is securely encrypted.
2. FireChat. A tool capable of building real mesh networks between smartphones, which makes it possible to transmit messages through a built chain of devices over fairly long distances. It turns out that the more participants there are in such a network, the more reliable the connection seems. As a result, we get a rather interesting local solution that can be used in any office, utility, financial institution and more.
3. Bridgefy. With its help, you can create group chats. The only limitation is the Bluetooth coverage area. Practice shows that in disaster areas or at any fairly large events, this local messenger works much better than classic networks.

Self-created mesh networks

To create a mesh network yourself, you still need to have certain technical knowledge and skills, as well as have several regular routers and the appropriate software for them. Today, there are already several projects on the market that will help you create small decentralized networks that in practice will be completely independent of providers. Freifunk and Yggdrasil can be cited as examples here. Let us repeat that this requires quite serious technical knowledge, but the result can exceed expectations.

Forgotten radio communication

In parallel with the fact that various messengers and other similar online communication channels began to be actively used on the market, most of us completely forgot that walkie-talkies are one of the most reliable methods of communication. And this statement remains relevant even today, despite the huge number of other, more technologically advanced solutions. On the modern market, you can find small portable models that can operate at a distance of up to 50 km. And if you additionally attach repeaters to them, you can easily transmit information over several hundred kilometers. And all you need for their operation is ordinary batteries or accumulators. And this means that dependence on any infrastructure is excluded.

But here we want to draw attention to one nuance: today in Russia, special permits are required to use most frequencies. But in the event of a digital blackout, which can rightfully be classified as an emergency, a special rule comes into effect that cancels the need to obtain such permits. This means that you just need to purchase basic equipment in advance and understand how radio communications work in general. But also keep in mind that a certain natural phenomenon, such as a solar flare, can negatively affect the stability of the radios.

Navigating in space without Google Maps

How often do you use Google Maps in your daily life? Surely with enviable regularity. They help us get from point "A" to point "B" along the fastest and most convenient route. And with their help we find the location we need, be it a store, a cafe, a landmark. Today, both adults and children use a navigator. This means that if access to the Internet and, accordingly, to Google Maps disappears, then most of us will feel it immediately and painfully.

But here we have good news for you: modern cartographic offers that work offline. The only inconvenience is the need to download them in advance. That is, do not put off these works for a long period of time, so as not to be left without high-quality navigation in case the Internet is disconnected. So, the most popular solutions in this category today are:

1. MAPS.ME. The functionality of this application allows you to download an entire country and then use full-fledged navigation even without an Internet connection. Such a solution will be very convenient when you are abroad, that is, in roaming. The only caveat: such files will be more than significant in weight. Each region weighs several gigabytes, but the functionality here will be quite good, and the work is stable. Perhaps a rational solution would be to install MAPS.ME on a separate device. Alternatively, you can allocate your old smartphone for this application, deleting other heavy files from it.
2. 2GIS. This service is equipped with an impressive amount of information about all organizations, as well as public transport, which makes it indispensable for modern tourists. You can download information about the city you are planning a trip to in advance, along with all the reference data, be it contacts of certain companies, organizations, institutions, street names and house numbers, bus schedules, etc.
3. Organic Maps. It is characterized by fairly high speed and consumes much fewer resources than previous options. This application is based on the OpenStreetMap open data base, which allows us to confidently say that the maps are quite detailed in most populated areas. This solution will be an indispensable assistant for lovers of hiking, cycling, including in areas where there is no Internet coverage a priori.

But also, along with modern mapping applications, you can use other methods, which we will discuss below.

Paper maps

In the conditions of a digital blackout, paper maps can be a real find. These are working solutions for all times. They do not depend on technology at all, they cannot run out of battery or turn off or break. And even if you accidentally damage them, then scotch tape will easily and simply fix this problem. The only thing you need to foresee in advance is to buy the appropriate atlas. But here you will need to restore or gain knowledge of the symbols and at least roughly navigate the scale. After we began to use various mapping services, such atlases ceased to be popular, although many even have them at home.

At this stage, your task is to navigate the variety of solutions and buy an atlas of highways of the country or region that interests you. Tourist maps of the area may also be useful. Although the technology itself is quite ancient, in extreme conditions without the Internet it can really come to the rescue and will not allow you to get lost in the area.

GPS navigators

Although GPS navigators are not as old as atlases and tourist maps, many still perceive them as a relic of the past, something that has already lost its relevance. But as soon as you find yourself in an unforeseen situation, they can really provide serious help. So today there are many models on the market that can work on one charge for several weeks. They contain detailed maps and are able to build alternative routes without being tied to any servers. Bright representatives in this category can be called TomTom, Garmin navigators, although the choice here is quite wide.

This solution will be especially useful during long trips, moving around unfamiliar cities, megalopolises with their complex interchanges. And here you will not even have to react to the whims of cellular networks. You can be sure that you will not experience any sudden power outages and will not be left on an unfamiliar road or even in a foreign country with no idea where to go next.

Managing finances without banking apps

If a digital blackout suddenly occurs, we will not have access to any payment systems or banking services. This means that serious problems with payments will arise. And to prevent this from happening, it is necessary to prepare for potential problems in advance. Despite all possible options, the only solution that can truly be called a universal means of payment is cash. No matter how trivial this may sound, it is true. This means that it is in your interests to always keep a certain amount of money at home. This is what will allow you to buy the necessary food and essential goods in the event of a digital collapse.

In principle, today there are already ATMs that can work offline. Account status data is loaded here in advance. You can contact your bank and find out if they have such ATMs, as well as their addresses, so that you can use them if necessary. But you still need to understand that most of these devices require a constant connection to bank servers. This means that they will not be able to work offline.

Another possible solution is cryptocurrency wallets that can work offline. This also provides access to the owners' digital assets even without an Internet connection. But the difficulty is that without access to the blockchain, it is not possible to carry out a transaction. The only thing you can do in this case is check your balance and prepare payments for sending.

Getting access to information offline

Another problem for a modern user is the impossibility of accessing this or that information when search engines are not working. And it's one thing if you just wanted to see the weather forecast or a new movie, and quite another if you need to find out the address or contacts of a medical institution or other really important information. But here we will talk about the need to prepare in advance for a global Internet shutdown. Namely, we are talking about creating local knowledge archives.

Today, there are many specialized software solutions that allow you to download offline versions of Wikibooks, Wikipedia, various medical reference books and even video tutorials from YouTube. The only thing that needs to be taken into account in this case is the rather impressive weight of all these materials. But this nuance is quite relative. For example, the entire Russian-language Wikipedia today weighs about 20 GB. And if you evaluate this parameter by modern standards, it will not be so much. But you will have millions of articles at your disposal, many of which may actually be useful to you in the event of a digital blackout.

And here, first of all, we would recommend thinking about downloading the following documentation:

1. Medical reference books. In conditions of digital isolation, access to medical information can be seriously hampered. It is important to understand that in many ways it can really be a matter of life and death. And this means that you should have access to reference books of drugs, which will contain information about the drugs themselves, dosages. First aid applications containing step-by-step instructions, as well as various medical calculators, will also come in handy. And you can easily download all this in advance along with diagnostic reference books, anatomy atlases. This solution will be especially useful if you have people with chronic diseases in your family.
2. Technical documentation. Programmers and all those technical specialists on whose activities the operation of critical facilities depends need to download the relevant materials in advance. So, you can create local copies of technical platforms, relevant training resources, API documentation. Yes, the work ahead will be quite long and labor-intensive, but if you pay attention to the world we live in today, you should clearly not exclude the possibility of a global digital blackout. Just start preparing in advance, literally setting aside an hour of your time every day to download such documentation.
3. Educational materials. Teaching children is a continuous process that should continue even in the conditions of a large-scale Internet shutdown. Most schoolchildren and students today actively use electronic notebooks and textbooks, educational games, tests. But all this can also work offline. Again, they must be downloaded in advance. You can also choose for yourself a large number of different video tutorials, interactive problem books. This is what will allow you to continue your education even in rather difficult conditions without the Internet.

If you work in a certain niche, then think about always having a set of necessary documentation at hand that you could use even if the Internet is disconnected.

Preparing for work in conditions of digital isolation

For many companies and people working remotely, the lack of Internet will stop their work completely. But, as practice shows, some work processes can be continued offline. Many have even forgotten that a number of tasks related to creating and editing documentation do not require an Internet connection at all. Today, there are many services that can be used to organize effective office work. For example, ONLYOFFICE Desktop, which can be used as a more modern alternative to the classic Microsoft Office Editors. But LibreOffice is a free software solution equipped with a full-fledged text editor, the ability to create and work with presentations, tables.

If your professional activity is related to programming, then you can use locally installed development environments in order to continue working even when the Internet is disconnected. Just do not forget to download the necessary documentation in advance. You can also use special version control systems like Git. With their help, you will be able to work with the program code in offline mode, and then, when the Internet connection is restored, you simply synchronize all the changes.

Never forget about backups. This is an indispensable solution in conditions of unstable network connection, or even in conditions of a complete Internet shutdown. Just get into the habit of creating local backups using external media at regular intervals. This is what will allow you to prevent the loss of extremely important information that has been accumulated over the years. To ensure this, you will need to prepare the appropriate technical equipment. Alternatively, you should always have hard drives and SSDs at your disposal, allowing you to store large amounts of data, network storage (NAS) to form home data centers.

Getting access to entertainment content without an Internet connection

Practice shows that in the event of unforeseen situations, it is also extremely important to ensure psychological comfort. Any deviation from your usual life, including entertainment, only aggravates stress. But here too, you can take care of your own comfort in advance. Many mobile and computer games can also work offline. That is, just download a few interesting options in advance, so to speak, just in case. Additionally, you can collect a collection of your favorite films, shows, series on external media, use local music libraries. It is also not a problem to download podcasts or audiobooks according to your individual preferences. This is what will allow you to feel quite comfortable even without access to the same YouTube, Netflix or other streaming services.

If you didn't know, AIMP, foobar2000 can provide unhindered access to music tracks, but VLC Media Player works with absolutely any format. Don't forget about the eternal classics - books, board games, various creative works, and just live communication. This is something that does not require an Internet connection or even electricity.

Creating local networks and home servers

We would like to immediately draw your attention to the fact that only people with certain technical knowledge and skills can implement this. They will be able to create some kind of Internet literally at home. To do this, several computers and related equipment are combined into a local network. There are several interesting solutions here:

1. Using programs like Plex, Jellyfin. They will help turn your home computer into some kind of Netflix. But it will work on your own collection of music or movies downloaded in advance. At the same time, you will be able to provide access to such content to other users of the home network by connecting their device through a web browser. In this case, each user will be able to watch their movies and listen to their music.
2. Using file servers based on a regular personal computer or specialized software like Synology Drive. This creates a unique document exchange center within a local network.
3. If you consider yourself a literal guru in the niche of digital technologies, then you can try to deploy some kind of the most popular services on home servers, ranging from instant messengers that allow you to instantly exchange messages and up to social networks. These are projects such as Diaspora, Rocket.Chat. They were originally created to work in local networks and do not require an Internet connection.

Think about which of these solutions will be the most convenient in your particular circumstances. But don't forget to evaluate your strengths and technical savvy.

We provide alternative communication channels

Even if there is a mass Internet shutdown, there are still small communication zones that you can connect to yourself using special technologies. You just need to know where to find them. And here, too, there are several solutions:

1. Dial-up modems. This is a fairly ancient mobile Internet technology, but in some cases it may be the only possible communication channel. The speed here is very low, but you will still be able to send a message or access critical information.
2. Satellite system. Unlike the previous option, this is an advanced modern solution that works independently of the ground infrastructure. This means that even if there is a global Internet shutdown, they will still continue to function. The cost of such equipment and its subsequent use is quite high, but you get a solution that will provide you with complete independence from external networks.
3. Mobile network. If it still functions at least a little, then you can turn your smartphone into a full-fledged modem, connecting to other devices. Most modern phones are capable of distributing the Internet using USB, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

Getting access to news without social networks

In crisis situations, which can rightfully include a global digital blackout, access to alternative sources of information is also difficult. In some cases, this will also be a matter of personal safety. And this means that it is necessary to select news channels that would remain relevant even without access to the Internet.

In particular, these can be:

1. Radio receivers. They can operate both from the mains and from batteries, and receive signals over vast distances. Most modern commercial and state radio stations are capable of continuing to broadcast even in fairly extreme conditions. Using shortwave bands will allow you to receive signals even from other countries, which will allow you to really stay up to date with the news, and absolutely independent ones at that.
2. Newspapers, magazines and other printed publications. Of course, in modern conditions, when we are used to using the Internet everywhere, they seem like a relic. But if we talk about the conditions of an absolute information blockade, then they are definitely worth remembering. The only thing that will have to be taken into account here is that the efficiency of data provision leaves much to be desired. This is not the case when what is happening will be displayed in real time.
3. Digital terrestrial television. Today it is available in almost all countries and regions. To use it, you will need a regular antenna and the simplest digital tuner. By the way, the latter is mostly built into modern TVs. But here it is important to remember that the reliability of the information that sounds from TV screens is highly questionable. That is, here you will have to be resourceful and filter the data.

Forewarned is forearmed

Now each of us must clearly understand that a global digital blackout is not a terrible horror story, but something that can very well happen, and at any time, without warning. And in such a situation, it is important not to panic, but to prepare for it in advance. Now you have the time and opportunity to understand possible alternatives, understand how they work and what you will need to connect them. The point is that you have a clearly developed plan of action in case of an Internet shutdown. Alternatively, you can agree with your loved ones on where you can meet, what methods of communication you can use, etc.

Of the mandatory equipment, you should worry about portable chargers, preferably with a high capacity, solar panels for charging smartphones, laptops, a radio. Save important programs and documents on a flash drive, and use external hard drives for larger content. Buy yourself paper maps or atlases with roads, put a certain amount of cash in a secluded place. This is all that will allow you to hold out for a certain period of time in the conditions of a global Internet shutdown.

If you plan to use offline resources, you should understand that they will need to be updated at regular intervals. Alternatively, make it a habit to download fresh maps, more current versions of various reference books, and replenish your range of entertainment materials every six months.

Let's sum it up

It is impossible to imagine the life of a modern person without the Internet and it is difficult to imagine how our ancestors managed without it for so long. But even if it happens that access to the network is lost, now you know a lot of ways to ensure the most comfortable existence for yourself even without the World Wide Web. But you need to prepare for unexpected shutdowns in advance.

You can get significant help at this stage by using private mobile proxies from the MobileProxy.Space service. You can learn more about this technical solution here. This way you can bypass any regional restrictions and blocking, gaining access to sites and platforms from different countries, regions of the world. And this means that you can easily collect all the necessary documents, entertainment content files without any problems and difficulties.

You also provide yourself with high rates of confidential and secure work on the Internet, you can use various software solutions to automate routine and similar work, multi-accounting and more. Such broad functionality is provided by replacing the real IP-address and geolocation of your device with the technical parameters of the intermediary server. You can also test mobile proxies before purchasing and contact the technical support service around the clock if difficulties and problems arise in operation.

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