Research Documents Multi-Year Global Internet Shutdowns
New data reveals that connectivity outages often last for years in conflict zones, far outlasting official restoration claims.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Telecommunications
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Access Now has published research detailing multi-year internet shutdowns in conflict-affected regions like Myanmar, Sudan, and Ethiopia. The report, which includes testimonies collected between 2024 and 2026, highlights how government-led restrictions persist long after official announcements claim services are restored.
Why it matters
Prolonged connectivity blackouts sever critical communication channels and threaten local livelihoods. Understanding these patterns is essential as researchers find that formal restoration announcements often fail to reflect the actual technical state of telecommunications infrastructure.
The report highlights that internet disruption spans years in specific regions, such as the two-year blackout observed in Tigray. These outages involve more than just network throttling; they reflect significant, persistent damage to infrastructure and ongoing government control mechanisms.
The players
Access Now
An international non-profit focused on digital rights, known for advocacy and monitoring global telecommunications freedom.
#KeepItOn coalition
A global network of organizations working together to prevent and document internet shutdowns worldwide.
The details
The documentation relies on personal accounts gathered via the Shutdown Impact Stories project and the #KeepItOn coalition. These reports track how authorities implement digital isolation by disabling cellular and broadband nodes, often leaving populations without access to information or economic tools. The research clarifies that an official order to restore service does not guarantee functional connectivity if the physical telecommunications hardware remains disabled or destroyed.
Timeline
2024-2026: Testimony gathered regarding internet shutdowns.
October 20, 2026: Access Now published the research report.
The Tech Race
This research expands upon the #KeepItOn coalition's ongoing efforts to catalog global internet restrictions. It shifts the focus from identifying short-term outages to documenting the long-term, structural reality of multi-year connectivity blackouts.
The dashboard provides an active way to monitor internet availability across documented conflict zones. It allows users to track how specific, government-imposed restrictions directly affect information access and daily economic stability in the listed regions.
The takeaway
The gap between government restoration claims and technical reality remains a critical hurdle for global connectivity. Readers should monitor the ongoing reports from the #KeepItOn coalition to understand the actual availability of services in these regions.
Further reading
For broader context on how digital infrastructure is monitored and challenged, visit Telecommunications.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CircleID.
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Should governments be strictly required to maintain internet access during civil conflict?
