Last week, I awoke to find I was one of the tens of thousands affected by the AT&T power outage. My cell phone could not make or receive calls. After a couple hours, it could no longer send or receive texts. I had meetings to attend and people I needed to call along the way — and this outage greatly affected my day, so much that it caused me to begin pondering steps I might need to take to prepare for a communications breakdown.

Let the IFA community know how to pray for you.

View Comments (23)

For years, I have heard prophecies about an interruption in our communications systems, our phones, and the internet. While I used to think this highly unlikely, I now think it most certainly a possibility. Last week felt much like a warning to me.

Many of us take for granted how much we use our phones and what a necessity they have become. For some, they are our lifeline to the outside world. If we are lost, Google will help us find our way. If we need emergency help, we call 911. If we need to check up on a loved one, we send a text. Communication is easily accessible even in some of the most remote parts of the world. However, when a disaster occurs, there is no guarantee that our typical forms of communication will be available.

Most people have no means of communication apart from their cell phones or the internet. In 2019, 31% of Americans still had landlines. However, a recent study showed that only 2% of Americans now have landlines. That means that if cell phones go down, they have no way to communicate. This can be a problem. But if cell phones and the internet go down, a landline would be ineffective as well.

While cell phone service is mostly reliable, things can and do happen, as happened this past week with AT&T. It seems that no one really knows exactly what caused the outage. Some said it was a solar flare, others said it was a technical error, and still others say they are still investigating the possibly of a cyberattack. What the outage did reveal is that losing cell phone service for a day or longer is a very real possibility.

There can be many reasons for the loss of cell phone and internet service: storms, high winds, natural disasters, fires, and yes, cyberattacks. When these things happen, it affects a plethora of areas. People depend on the internet for information as well as communication. Should the internet be attacked or go down for any reason, it would most definitely have a widespread effect. Think about all the places that depend entirely on the internet working properly. Those places would be crippled in such an event. Banks and grocery stores could not operate. Most business would be impacted. Communication would come to a halt. Phones would not work. Medical facilities would be impaired. It could be devastating. The long-term effects would be far-reaching.

2020 taught me a few lessons about being prepared. This recent outage taught me a few more lessons. Yes, these things can happen. They can last hours, days, or even weeks. The question is, how can we prepare for the possibility of losing the ability to communicate?

Last week, as I went to my appointments without any way to make calls or communicate, I couldn’t help but think back to simpler times in my life. When I was in my 20s, I didn’t have a cell phone — I know, that sounds crazy. But I remember going on trips without a phone or any way to make a call should I need to. Not having access to a phone never entered my mind. We have become so dependent on cell phones and the internet, however, that we can’t function without them. Although I was able to keep moving forward that day, it wasn’t comfortable or convenient.

Though we cannot control outages or disasters, we can control our responses to them. We can prepare. Natural disasters, outages, and even terrorist attacks are unpredictable. So, it must be our priority to learn to navigate through such happenings.  The very best way to go forth peacefully through an emergency or outage is to first have a good plan in place. Sit down and discuss this with your family and decide what you would each do in such an event. Create a family emergency-communication plan. Good preparation can take the stress out of an untimely situation such as this. Remember, mobile communications may not be reliable during mass catastrophes. To help our families stay in touch and reunite quickly, we should develop and practice a family plan. Here are some suggestions.

• If you do not currently have a landline, you might consider getting one. Of course, this will only help if the internet continues to work. During the AT&T outage, I was able to communicate using my landline.
• It is always a good idea to have cash on hand in case the banks are closed or you are unable to access your ATM or other mobile payment options.
• Keep paper copies of important documents on hand. This includes a printed-out bank statement with your account numbers, printed insurance papers, a phone bill, a mortgage document, and similar necessary documents. Also, print out the phone numbers you would need if you were unable to access them via your cell phone.
• It’s a good idea to have an emergency radio available.
• If you take medications, it is always a good idea to have some extra on hand.
• Of course, it’s always best to have at least two weeks’ groceries and water in your pantry, if possible.

If we learned anything from 2020, it is that unexpected things do happen. The world can change in the blink of an eye. However, this does not have to rattle us. We must remember that God has gone before us, and that He is with us. His peace is always available, and He will lead us and guide us in the way we should go. There is nothing to fear, regardless of what is happening around us. Still, we can exercise wisdom and prepare ourselves and our family. In doing so, we will walk through any disruptions with peace — being unshaken and undisturbed.

Are you prepared for a communications breakdown? Share your own tips, prayers, and strategies below.

Kim Potter is a writer and the founder of A New Thing Ministries, which sends a daily teaching to thousands of people all around the world. Her articles have appeared on The Elijah List, in Charisma Magazine, and on Spirit Fuel and iBelieve.com. Kim’s message is one of hope. She speaks to the hearts of those who have grown discouraged or disappointed by the circumstances of life, to impart hope. Her daily inspirational writings are available at ANewThingMinistries.com. Photo Credit: dimaberlinphotos via Canva Pro.