Global Internet Disruptions in Q1 2026: A Comprehensive Overview

Introduction

The first quarter of 2026 witnessed a significant uptick in internet disruptions worldwide, driven by a combination of government-imposed shutdowns, infrastructure failures, and geopolitical tensions. This article provides a detailed summary of the most notable outages observed during this period, based on data from network monitoring sources. Note that this list is not exhaustive but highlights key events that impacted connectivity across regions.

Government-Directed Shutdowns

Government-led internet blackouts stood out in Q1 2026, contrasting sharply with the same period in 2025 when no such shutdowns were recorded. Two prominent cases occurred in Uganda and Iran, where authorities ordered prolonged network suspensions for political reasons.

Uganda: Election-Driven Connectivity Cut

In advance of the presidential election scheduled for January 15, Ugandan authorities imposed a nationwide internet shutdown. On January 13, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) instructed mobile network operators to suspend public internet access starting at 18:00 local time (15:00 UTC). The UCC justified the measure as necessary to “curb misinformation, disinformation, electoral fraud and related risks.”

The impact was immediate: traffic at the Uganda Internet Exchange Point (UIXP) plummeted from approximately 72 Gbps to 1 Gbps. Cloudflare data confirmed a near-complete traffic loss, with connectivity effectively at zero until 23:00 local time on January 17, when partial restoration began after incumbent President Yoweri Museveni was declared winner of his seventh term. Full restoration was announced on January 26, with mobile network operators MTN Uganda and Airtel Uganda confirming on social media that restrictions had been lifted.

The shutdown prompted legal challenges against the UCC and telecom companies, and drew criticism from digital rights organizations like CIPESA. Notably, Uganda had also blocked internet during its 2021 election, despite authorities promising as recently as January 5, 2026, that “claims suggesting otherwise are false, misleading.”

Iran: Extended Blackout Amid Political Unrest

Iranian citizens experienced a multi-day internet blackout during Q1 2026, continuing a pattern of government-directed shutdowns in the country. While specific dates and causes were not fully detailed in the available data, the disruption was observed as a prolonged loss of connectivity, likely linked to political demonstrations or security concerns. The outage affected both domestic and international traffic, highlighting the government’s use of network controls as a tool for information management.

Previous Iran shutdowns have been associated with protest movements, and this quarter’s event followed similar patterns. The duration and scope of the blackout underscored ongoing tensions between state authorities and citizens seeking open access to information.

Infrastructure Failures and Power Outages

Beyond government actions, technical failures and natural events contributed to significant connectivity losses in Q1 2026.

Cuba: Repeated Grid Collapses

Cuba faced three separate collapses of its national electrical grid during the quarter, each causing widespread internet outages. The island nation’s fragile power infrastructure, compounded by fuel shortages and aging equipment, led to cascading failures that knocked out internet services for hours at a time. These events highlighted the vulnerability of digital connectivity to energy instability, particularly in regions with limited backup systems.

Ukraine: Military Actions Disrupt Connectivity

Ongoing military conflict in Ukraine continued to disrupt internet services. Attacks on telecommunications infrastructure and power grids led to intermittent outages in affected regions. In addition, military actions in the Middle East impacted hyperscaler cloud infrastructure, causing service degradations for global customers. The precise locations and dates were not specified, but the disruptions underscored the collateral damage of armed conflict on digital networks.

Severe Weather in Portugal

Severe weather events, including storms and flooding, knocked out internet connectivity in parts of Portugal. The outages were primarily due to damage to physical infrastructure such as cables and power lines. Recovery efforts were hampered by adverse conditions, but services were restored within days.

Cable Damage in Republic of Congo

In the Republic of Congo, damage to undersea or terrestrial cables disrupted internet connectivity for a significant portion of the population. The exact cause—whether due to construction, shipping anchors, or natural wear—was not disclosed, but the incident highlighted the fragility of cable-dependent networks in developing regions.

Technical Glitches and Unknown Issues

Verizon Wireless Outage in the United States

Verizon Wireless experienced a technical problem that caused a temporary disruption of services for millions of US customers. The issue, which lasted several hours, affected mobile data and voice services. Verizon engineers resolved the problem, but the root cause was not publicly detailed.

Unexplained Outages in Guinea and the United Kingdom

Customers of internet providers in Guinea and the United Kingdom faced short-lived connectivity losses due to unknown issues. In Guinea, the outage was likely related to infrastructure constraints, while in the UK, it may have been a routing or software error. Both were resolved within hours, but the lack of transparent explanations raised concerns about network resilience.

Conclusion

Q1 2026 demonstrated that internet disruptions remain a complex global issue, driven by political decisions, aging infrastructure, natural disasters, and conflict. Government-directed shutdowns, particularly in Uganda and Iran, reversed a recent trend of declining such events. Meanwhile, power outages, weather, and technical glitches continued to threaten connectivity across continents. As reliance on digital services grows, so does the need for robust network monitoring and transparent incident reporting to anticipate and mitigate future disruptions.