Situation · No internet

No data and no calls: the plan is on paper.

These days almost everything depends on the internet: payments, information and keeping in touch with family. If it goes down, a plan on paper and a radio make all the difference.

Better than callingA text message

InformationBattery radio

To payCash

ContactsOn paper

What to do now See the guides

Step by step

What to do, and when

Try a text message: it often gets through when a call won't.Turn on the radio to find out what's happening.Follow your family communication plan: meeting points and an outside contact.

Use cash if card payments stop working.Check your paper list of phone numbers and addresses.Save battery: don't keep searching for a signal.

If you're still without a connection, organise with your neighbours.Keep paper maps or offline maps to hand.Go over your plan: what you found you were missing.

Your margin

What decides how long you can hold out

Your phone battery.

The cash you have at home.

Reliable information: radio and official alerts.

Frequently asked questions

What people ask most

Why does a text get through when a call doesn't?

It uses very little network capacity and is sent as soon as there's a gap. That's why it usually arrives even when calls won't connect.

How much cash should I keep at home?

Enough for a few days of food, pharmacy and transport, in small notes. Keep it somewhere safe.

Does ES-Alert work without internet?

ES-Alert comes through the mobile network, not the internet, so it can reach you even without data, as long as there's coverage.

To read later

Guides to help you prepare

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