Mitigating an Internet Outage During Storm Recovery

Image courtesy of Ai.Comput’In under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic Deed, resized to 700 x 391 pixels.

It goes without saying that an internet outage occurring during storm restoration would be a disaster in and of itself, as utility operations depend on cloud services, cellular networks, and links between field teams and control centers.

Because of this high level of operational interdependence, a contingency plan should be developed to help deal with an internet outage scenario.

The Impact and Mitigation of an Internet Outage

Let’s summarize some examples of how an internet outage would harm operations:

• Outage-management software and the resulting outage maps would fail to update.
• GIS would be unavailable to crews who need pole, line, and equipment locations.
• SCADA and distribution-management systems would lose remote visibility or control.
• Mobile dispatch tools, crew-tracking applications, digital work orders, and inventory platforms would stop syncing.
• Damage photos and drone imagery would be difficult to upload, slowing assessment and prioritization.

Ironically, grid failures are a leading cause of network downtime.

Now, one point of clarification is that a connectivity failure does not automatically mean the grid itself stops operating, as many operational technology networks are separate from the public internet.  But separation is not a guarantee of resilience, which means that utilities should know which functions work locally, which depend on external communications, and how staff will coordinate if both internet and cellular service are impaired.

The contingency plan for this scenario should involve the establishment of backup communications like private radio, satellite phones, and interoperable radio channels along with designated check-in schedules.  It should also involve paper-based outage logs, damage-assessment forms, and work orders, with a clear process for entering and reconciling them once systems return.

Utilities should also test backup power and communications, secure operational networks, and pre-arrange mutual-aid coordination that does not depend on one online platform.

The bottom line is that an internet outage does not need to halt recovery, but plans must be put in place beforehand that involve moving key processes offline.