Global Internet Disruptions Surge in Q1 2026 as Governments, Conflict, and Weather Cut Connectivity

Key facts

• Uganda imposed a nationwide internet shutdown on January 13 ahead of the presidential election, dropping domestic traffic from 72 Gbps to 1 Gbps.
• Iran experienced two nationwide shutdowns in Q1 2026, the first lasting from January 8 to partial restoration on January 27, and a second beginning February 28 that remained largely in place through April.
• Asiatech lost 4.46 million /48-equivalents of IPv6 space, accounting for 9.4% of Iran's total IPv6 loss during the first shutdown.
• The Republic of Congo saw a near-complete internet shutdown from March 15 for approximately 60 hours during its presidential election.
• Cuba's national electrical grid collapsed three separate times in Q1 2026, causing internet disruptions.
• Military action in Ukraine and the Middle East disrupted connectivity, including drone strikes on hyperscaler cloud infrastructure.
• Severe weather knocked out internet in Portugal, and cable damage disrupted connectivity in the Republic of Congo.

A Quarter of Unprecedented Disruptions

The first quarter of 2026 witnessed a surge in internet disruptions worldwide, from government-ordered shutdowns in Uganda and Iran to military strikes on cloud infrastructure and natural disasters. According to data from Cloudflare Radar, the period saw a stark contrast to the previous year, which had no observed government-directed shutdowns in the same quarter. The disruptions ranged from prolonged blackouts to brief outages caused by power failures, cable damage, and technical glitches. Among the most notable events were three separate collapses of Cuba's national electrical grid, which knocked out connectivity across the island. In Ukraine, ongoing military action continued to disrupt internet services, while in the Middle East, drone strikes targeted hyperscaler cloud infrastructure, affecting a broader swath of users. Severe weather in Portugal and cable damage in the Republic of Congo added to the tally of connectivity failures.

Uganda's Election Shutdown and Its Aftermath

In advance of the January 15 presidential election, Ugandan authorities ordered a nationwide internet shutdown. The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) instructed mobile network operators to suspend public internet access from 18:00 local time (15:00 UTC) on January 13. The UCC defended the move as necessary to "curb misinformation, disinformation, electoral fraud and related risks." Data from Cloudflare shows domestic traffic at the Uganda Internet Exchange Point (UIXP) plummeted from approximately 72 Gbps to 1 Gbps as a result. Internet connectivity remained effectively at zero through 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 by the UCC on January 26, with mobile network operators MTN Uganda and Airtel Uganda confirming on social media that restrictions had been lifted. The shutdown prompted lawsuits against the UCC and telecom companies, and drew criticism from digital rights organizations including CIPESA. Uganda had also blocked internet access during its 2021 election, despite authorities repeatedly promising this time would be different, stating as recently as January 5 that "claims suggesting otherwise are false, misleading."

Iran's Twin Shutdowns and the Role of Filtering

Iranian citizens spent much of the first quarter offline or with severely limited connectivity due to two nationwide internet shutdowns. The first began around 20:00 local time on January 8, with traffic remaining near zero until January 21, when a small amount returned only to disappear again within 24 hours. A similar brief restoration occurred on January 25, before traffic recovered more aggressively starting on January 27. Notably, a near-complete loss of announced IPv6 address space began several hours before the traffic drop on January 8, with Asiatech (AS43754) losing 4.46 million /48-equivalents (9.4% of Iran's total IPv6 loss) and RASANA (AS31549) losing 4.19 million /48-equivalents (8.8%). Given the timing gap, this IPv6 withdrawal may have been a leading indicator rather than a direct cause. The shutdown was likely implemented through other means, such as filtering, as IPv4 address space remained fairly consistent. On February 28, as military strikes on Iran escalated, a second nationwide shutdown began, with traffic falling to well under 1% of previous levels. No significant shifts in IP address space were observed, supporting reports that aggressive filtering—using whitelists and "white SIM cards"—restricted access to only approved sites for selected users. Iran remained effectively offline through the end of the quarter, and as of late April, this shutdown remained largely in place, making it one of the longest sustained internet disruptions in recent years.

Election-Related Shutdowns in the Republic of Congo

On March 15, as the Republic of Congo held a presidential election expected to extend President Denis Sassou Nguesso's 42-year rule, a near-complete shutdown of internet connectivity was observed. Traffic dropped precipitously around 06:30 local time, falling to near zero for approximately 60 hours through the election period and its immediate aftermath. Recovery began on March 17 at 18:20 local time, with traffic rapidly returning to pre-shutdown levels. Congolese authorities provided no official explanation for the drop, but similar shutdowns were implemented during the 2021 and 2016 elections. The pattern underscores a recurring tactic of restricting internet access during politically sensitive periods, despite the lack of formal acknowledgment.

Other Disruptions: Power Outages, Weather, and Technical Failures

Beyond government-directed shutdowns, the quarter saw a variety of other disruptions. Cuba's national electrical grid collapsed three times, causing widespread internet outages. In Ukraine, military action continued to disrupt connectivity, while in the Middle East, drone strikes on hyperscaler cloud infrastructure had a significant impact. Severe weather in Portugal knocked out internet services, and cable damage disrupted connectivity in the Republic of Congo. In the United States, a technical problem hit Verizon Wireless, causing a brief outage. Unknown issues also briefly disrupted connectivity for customers of providers in Guinea and the United Kingdom. These incidents, while varied in cause, collectively highlight the fragility of global internet infrastructure in the face of both human and natural forces.

The Broader Context and Future Outlook

The first quarter of 2026 marks a significant escalation in internet disruptions, particularly government-ordered shutdowns, which were absent in the same period a year earlier. The data from Cloudflare Radar provides a detailed view of these events, though it is not exhaustive. The use of filtering techniques, as seen in Iran, and the reliance on shutdowns during elections in Uganda and the Republic of Congo, suggest a troubling trend toward state control of digital spaces. As the quarter closed, Iran's ongoing shutdown remained one of the longest sustained disruptions in recent years, with no clear end in sight. The international community, including digital rights organizations, has criticized these actions, but the lack of accountability or transparency from authorities raises concerns about future elections and political crises. The interplay between military conflict, infrastructure vulnerabilities, and state censorship will likely continue to shape the global internet landscape.

The bottom line

• Government-directed internet shutdowns surged in Q1 2026, with Uganda, Iran, and the Republic of Congo imposing prolonged blackouts during elections or conflicts.
• Iran's two shutdowns, the second lasting from February 28 through at least late April, represent one of the longest sustained internet disruptions in recent years, achieved through aggressive filtering rather than route withdrawals.
• Uganda's shutdown, which cut domestic traffic from 72 Gbps to 1 Gbps, prompted lawsuits and criticism from digital rights groups, despite authorities' earlier denials of such plans.
• Military strikes on hyperscaler cloud infrastructure in the Middle East and ongoing conflict in Ukraine contributed to connectivity losses, alongside natural disasters and technical failures.
• The quarter saw no government-directed shutdowns in the same period a year prior, marking a sharp increase in state-imposed internet restrictions.
• Cuba's three national grid collapses, severe weather in Portugal, and cable damage in the Republic of Congo highlight the vulnerability of internet infrastructure to non-political events.