What happens when the internet goes down? BlackSky emergency backup plans for the UK

Lancaster loses power

At 22:45 on 5 December 2015, the River Lune flooded Lancaster and electricity failed for 61,500 people. Copper landline telephones and FM radio were the two communication systems that continued to work.

The local station The Bay had a generator and a landline. A reporter went outside the affected area to call in with updates. A later report noted the irony that a digital society relied on technology familiar from the 1960s.

Preparing for a Black Sky

At a recent UK resilience summit, discussion centred on whether the country could withstand a Black Sky event for at least 72 hours. The government’s “Be Ready” campaign addresses possible crises, though officials say there is no specific threat to the electricity grid.

The article says experts think three days would probably be enough to restore services after such an event. Recent outages, including a mass blackout in Spain, Portugal and south-western France in April 2025, have raised the issue’s profile.

Emergency broadcasts and backup links

Around 100 BBC staff are expected to operate a dedicated emergency radio studio, broadcasting government messages prepared in advance. A select group of journalists at emergency centres around the UK would send additional information through satellite vehicles, while fuel remains available.

Reliance on connected systems

Greater dependence on electricity and networks can magnify the effects of failure. Lord Harris warned that emergency services are moving from radio communications to mobile phone technology, meaning a mobile network outage could also disrupt their communications.