How can I get the Internet when the power is out?

As more people learn and work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more necessary than ever to remain connected online. Unfortunately, power Outages may occur due to weather, unforeseen circumstances, critical work, and public safety. Staying equipped for power outages and unforeseen emergencies will help reduce stress when they occur.

Here are several ways to remain connected online when there is a power outage:

Make backup arrangements in advance of a power outage.

If you are informed of an imminent outage, try to make alternate arrangements as soon as possible. Check your school district or local libraries’ websites to see whether they have or loan hotspot equipment to access the Internet or if they have temporary accommodations for students with technical difficulties if you are doing adult education. Some school districts have local multipurpose rooms that follow safe distancing guidelines so that students can connect to the Internet.

Consider discussing with instructors the possibility of submitting lesson plans ahead of time so that students can download and access them offline.

Having safe distancing protocols in consideration, you may also attempt to secure an alternative WiFi location, such as a friend’s or relative’s home or city WiFi locations. Search your county or city website for a WiFi hotspot locator.

Always have a battery pack or backup charger at hand.

Prepare for a power outage by completely charging your computers, cellphones, tablets, and rechargeable battery packs before the power goes out.

It’s necessary to create or revisit your power outage preparedness kit- That should include a solar charger, external rechargeable battery pack, or hand-cranked charger. If there is sunlight, a solar-powered charger can keep your devices charged. On the other hand-cranked charger takes a lot of manual work to produce electricity. It can be helpful in an emergency when sunlight is unavailable.

Portable power stations- can also keep your gadgets, including your router, powered. Southern California Edison offers a $50 refund on eligible portable power stations sold on SCE Marketplace- Opens in a new window.

During a power outage, you can also use your car battery to charge your batteries. Make sure you have enough car adapters on hand. 

Make use of your smartphone as a WiFi hotspot.

Ascertain to know if your smartphone can be used as a hotspot to connect to the Internet. If this is the case, you can tether your laptop or tablet to your phone’s WiFi hotspot. Remember that when you use your phone as a hotspot, it shares your monthly data allowance with other devices.

To avoid running out of data and incurring additional costs, tether only when necessary and switch off your hotspot when not in use. Before tethering your devices, contact your cellphone service provider to decide your data allotment and if any extra charges apply.

Connect to the Internet using your cellular data.

Many programs and online Learning sites, such as Zoom, Google Classroom, Chrome apps, and so on, can be enabled and accessed on a smartphone or tablet with a cellular subscription if you do not have access to WiFi. For more information about monthly data allotment, you should contact your phone service provider.

Does VoIP work when the power is out?

The effect of digital convergence and technological advancements has resulted in the widespread use of VoIP phone systems by individuals and businesses. Businesses use them to significantly raise their company’s image and increase communication efficiencies. VoIP is used by all users to significantly reduce their communication costs, especially for international and long-distance calls.

There is one significant distinction between conventional PSTN phone systems and digitally hosted VoIP phone systems. This is about performance during a power outage. The PSTN provider powers PSTN systems, and as a result, they continue to function during a power outage.

Since a VoIP phone system is installed on ICT infrastructure, either on a hosted site or internally, it is the infrastructure provider’s duty to provide backup power.

This necessitates several considerations.

VoIP for Personal and Home Office

The majority of domestic VoIP systems are hosted by voice-enabled applications such as Telegram, Skype, and WhatsApp. A deskThe user may use a desktop app or a smart device connected to the Internet via WiFi. Larger home offices have a software PBX that supports a WiFi-based internal phone system and specialized VoIP functions. Handsets are usually softphone applications that run on desktops or mobile devices.

The trick here is to keep the laptop, WiFi, and Internet access turned on. A UPS that will continue to supply power for some time during the outage is an obvious requirement. The UPS should be connected to the laptop, as well as the WiFi and Internet interface equipment. It may not be essential to keep the desktop running in some domestic setups, especially Fibre To The Home.

The UPS size will be determined by the power draw of the equipment and the length of time you want to keep it going. A home office setup would need significantly more uptime than a simple domestic setup for communicating with friends and family.

If you have multiple PCs on a broader home office network, try and limit your use to one computer that supports the PBX software. Independent power support, either to the desktop or the handset supporting the softphone app, is required if the individual phone extensions remain operational.

In some instances, the extensions are hosted on smart devices via SIP. As a result, extension services will be available for as long as the devices are paid.

A decent UPS won’t take up much room and keep the setup going for a few hours. Remember: printers use a lot of electricity, so avoid using them during a power outage.

Another alternative, especially in areas with frequent power outages or insufficient power supply, is to go off the grid and supply domestic power with solar panels or an inverter and generator.

Will the Internet work when the power is out?

When the power goes out due to extreme weather, a transformer failure, or even a stray squirrel, your internet-connected gadgets can be rendered inoperable for the duration of the outage.

Power utilities aim to keep their customers’ energy on at all times by using technology to alter paths to reroute power if a problem occurs automatically. Even so, some outages will leave homes and businesses in the dark for hours.

The amount of trouble it causes you is determined by how much your life is reliant on the Internet and online services.

Possible impacts

A power outage at home used to mean lighting candles (which is no longer recommended due to the possibility of fire), opening or closing windows, turning on flashlights, and waiting it out. However, in our globalized world, we expect more than just light.

Let’s take a look at the technology that has been impacted:

Internet-delivered via cable or fiber should be accessible in most situations, and even if the internet service provider (ISP) experiences a power outage, backup generators are in place. Other equipment along the way is usually – but not always – powered by batteries. Otherwise, you won’t be able to communicate. DSL-delivered Internet service will normally continue to function. Dial-up services and satellite internet will be unchanged.

If your home is still linked to the Internet, your modem’s next connection, which requires power, is followed by your WiFi router, which also requires power.

Now we get to the things that most people care about: computers, printers, speakers, gaming consoles, and so on. Laptops with charged batteries and tablets and smartphones can operate as long as their connected devices are powered.

The TV or monitor needs power as well, and it can be a real power hog.

If the power company fails, your online activities will suffer as well.

Alternative solutions

The feasible solutions are determined by the period of the service interruption.

If it’s only for a short period of time, say less than an hour, having all of your technology on a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) may suffice. This is basically a backup battery device that charges when the power is on and starts working when the power is turned off. Many are only intended to keep a computer running long enough to save your work; longer run times necessitate the purchase of a more costly UPS.

Extended blackouts can necessitate the use of a generator, which, if properly fueled, may potentially keep you going indefinitely. The generator’s output, which may also have to supply other household appliances such as a refrigerator and freezer, is a significant factor here.

Suppose you still have wireless phone coverage, which is likely because providers have backup generators assuming you have a charged battery or extras ready to go. In that case, smartphones can be used to tether a laptop (also known as using it as a “hotspot”) and give the laptop internet access. Your wireless provider must enable tethering, and the amount of bandwidth you can use for it is usually limited. Know that you’ll be using data rather than WiFi, so it might get costly if you don’t have an unlimited plan.

Make use of a mobile broadband device. This is similar to tethering, except instead of using your phone, a dedicated system connects you to the Internet through a mobile signal. For Verizon’s 4G LTE Jetpack, for example, you can purchase a prepaid plan. Some telecommunications companies, such as AT&T, have them as well. The unit itself would cost you about $100 if bought directly, or it can be billed monthly.

Why does the Internet go down when there is a power outage?

If you work from home, a power or Internet outage is more than just inconvenient; it can cost you money. So make a contingency plan now for the inevitable power and Internet outages, and you’ll be glad you did.

A power failure and an internet outage are not the same things. However, they sometimes occur concurrently, and some of the solutions are the same. Planning ahead of time is the secret to minimizing headaches during all forms of outages.

WiFi routers are generally solid-state devices with no moving parts; thus, their energy consumption is minimal, and they are typically left 24 hours a day to provide continuous internet connectivity. A WiFi router is estimated to use 2 to 20 watts, with 6 watts being the norm for a wireless router. The good news is that heat damage, also known as heat stress, is the most common cause of failure for routers, PCs, and other network equipment. Routers are rarely affected by power outages. However, if your router is not plugged into a surge-protected socket, it can be fried when power is restored.

However, if you are experiencing a power outage and your WiFi has also stopped working, here is what you need to do.

Wireless internet access is based on devices that need electricity, such as our field towers or routers in the home. When the power goes out, certain devices cease to operate, causing you to lose your connection. Power outages are unavoidable, but we want to assure you that we have processes in place to deal with them as quickly and effectively as possible.

Planned power outages: Anyone who’s ever been in the middle of writing a lengthy email or report on their computer when a power outage occurs, causing them to miss 20 minutes of work, would definitely agree that learning about a power outage ahead of time is preferable to unforeseen outages.

Suppose there will be maintenance in your service area or a scheduled SMUD/PG&E power outage. In that case, you will be notified well in advance on the company’s Facebook page, Twitter account, or the Network Status page on their website.

Unexpected power outages: Weather, heat, and even events, such as falling trees, can cause power outages and internet outages. Both Softcom internet towers have backup power supplies that will keep our systems going for a limited time while sending local crews to assess and fix the issue as soon as possible. In these situations, we will post updates on social media as soon as possible to keep our customers updated while we try to solve the issue as soon as possible.

Finally, if your electricity is restored, but your Internet still isn’t working, one of the most common reasons is a defective wireless router. Most of the time, what you need to do is “reboot” the router by unplugging it from the wall for 30 seconds and then plugging it back in.

Effects of power outages on learning

According to a new Michigan State University study, power outages or limited internet connectivity from rural homes can lead to students falling behind academically. Academic achievement, college admissions, and job prospects can all suffer as a result of educational setbacks.

The seemingly insurmountable complexities of online learning, combined with the widespread focus on test results, may be stressful for students coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent interview, a psychologist confirmed that the interactive teaching and learning environment has a range of inherent obstacles that can be stressful for both learners and teachers. Many of these problems adversely impact students. The first anxiety that can trigger stress is the fear of being disconnected. This could be due to limited, unreliable, or even non-existent internet connectivity; it could also be due to power outages (commonly called blackouts).

An outage is “more stressful” since there is usually confusion about when electricity will be restored, and it can cause discomfort in addition to disrupting virtual learning. Our culture places a high emphasis on test results, and the possibility of losing out on material or a class weighs heavily on students in general. According to the Philosopher, the idea is that if you fail this, you do not have what you need to do well on the next exam.

These disruptions can impair learners’ motivation to learn in addition to causing stress. Dropping out on schoolwork, the psychologist explained, may have a negative impact on the students’ desire to learn. A study titled “Challenges of Online Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nepal” conducted by psychology lecturers Kavita Khati and Khem Raj Bhatta raised the issue of learner motivation. According to one student interviewed for the report, virtual learning sounds more like a teacher talking and less like interaction.

Learners who still lack any of the services needed to fully profit from online learning, such as a quick internet connection or a consistent energy supply, are further disadvantaged. It is unjust to ask such people to meet the same requirements as those who have lightning-fast Internet.

Effects of power outages on students

Poor management, deteriorating facilities, and load shedding may negatively impact a student’s education. This is a fact of life in the developing world. In several first-world nations, the words “load shedding” are greeted with blank stares… Mention it in South Africa, and you can hear, “It’s a part of our life.”

Many countries and cities around the world are experiencing full blackouts for prolonged periods of time. Assume you’re a student learning English and preparing for a critical exam when load shedding or a power outage happens.

With online education and access to learning materials and the Internet, a reliable and predictable energy supply is crucial, and tutors and lecturers need it for proper communication and the resources built into learning management systems. It is also required for the contact between students and lecturers who are in different geographical locations.

As time goes on and we concentrate on geographically distributed students having equal access to equal learning opportunities, especially in higher education, we expect that they will have some access to a digital computer and the Internet, which is already difficult in many parts of the world. Add to that an inadequate power supply, and the development of online distance and location-based learning faces increasing challenges.

Inequalities in social and economic status are prevalent in global education. Many people are experiencing the energy crisis adds another dimension to the unequal playing, or rather the “learning” sector. This has a major effect on whole populations’ socioeconomic status in developing countries in the short, medium, and long term.

The power crisis affects both teachers and students, restricting their ability to participate in the digitally activated educational climate fully and forcing the educational process to rely on outdated methods and systems in many cases.

The bright light of optimism in a young student’s mind gradually disappears, and their hopes are extinguished by a lack of access to reliable power systems and the Internet.

Unfortunately, the students who already have the least access to the benefits of digital education are most likely to be affected by an unreliable energy supply, compounding the issue and widening the socioeconomic divide.

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