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If the internet in a country is shut down entirely, a VPN won't help: it simply has nothing to connect to the server through. This was the case in Iran from January 8 to May 26, 2026, in Afghanistan on September 29 – October 1, 2025, and in Tanzania from October 29 to November 3, 2025. On days like these, only channels outside the internet work: SMS and calls (if they weren't cut along with data), maps and files downloaded in advance, mesh messengers over short distances and, with serious legal caveats, satellite communication.
A VPN encrypts traffic and hides it from filters, but it uses the same network. If the provider has turned off data or only lets out addresses from a whitelist, the tunnel has nothing to connect to, and changing the protocol or server country won't change anything.
It's important to tell a shutdown from a block. In Nepal on September 4, 2025, the authorities blocked 26 platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, X and WhatsApp, but the internet as such kept working. A VPN helps in such a situation, and, according to Wikipedia, protest organizers used them. The block was lifted on the evening of September 8. In Iran after January 28, 2026, most users were left with access only to pre-approved sites on a whitelist (The Verge, 01.02.2026). VPN servers aren't on that list. The difference is described in detail in does a VPN help when mobile internet is shut down.
Over the past year and a half, complete shutdowns happened in countries where tourists travel and relocants move: because of protests, elections, war and even power shortages.
| Country | When | What happened | Would a VPN have helped? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iran | 8.01–26.05.2026 | Blackout during protests, whitelists from 28.01, from 28.02 an almost complete shutdown again: per NetBlocks, 4% of normal traffic | Almost not |
| Afghanistan | 29.09–01.10.2025 | After regional fiber cuts from 16.09, the country went fully offline; on 11.05.2026 the Taliban ordered home fiber in Kabul to be cut | No |
| Tanzania | 29.10–03.11.2025 | Shutdown on election day, traffic fell by more than 90% (Cloudflare) | No |
| Nepal | 04.09–08.09.2025 | Block of 26 social networks and messengers, the internet worked | Yes |
| Cuba | 18.09.2026 | Power grid failure: more than 80% of base stations went down, traffic fell by 58% | No |
| Ethiopia | 2020–2023 | Tigray almost without internet for about two years, Amhara for about 11 months | No |
The Afghan shutdown lasted about two days: according to Cloudflare, connectivity returned on October 1 around 16:15 local time. The Iranian one, according to NetBlocks, became the longest nationwide shutdown on record. The Cuban case shows the other side: without electricity a base station has no network, and no app on your phone can fix that. There's a separate article on the Iranian situation after the blackout: VPN for Iran.
Often yes, because during a shutdown it's usually data that's cut, while voice is left on. But you can't count on it.
In Iran on January 8, 2026, phone lines in Tehran were cut along with the internet. In Afghanistan, as Al Jazeera wrote on September 30, 2025, phone service also suffered: some calls go over the internet and the same fiber-optic cables. So agree with your loved ones in advance: if there's no internet, you send SMS; if there's no SMS either, you wait until an agreed time. Check that SMS arrive before your trip: why SMS don't arrive abroad.
Mesh messengers pass messages from phone to phone over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi without servers and without internet. The best known are Bitchat and Briar. They only work over short distances and only if the app is installed in advance by everyone involved.
According to Gizmodo (07.01.2026), one Bitchat node reaches about 30 meters, and beyond that the message is relayed through nearby phones. During the protests in Nepal on September 8, 2025, the app was installed 48,000 times in a day. Briar, according to Wikipedia, can pass messages via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and even a USB stick, and all messages are encrypted.
For contact with another city, mesh is useless. Also, such apps aren't legal everywhere: Apple removed Bitchat from the Chinese App Store at the request of the regulator CAC (Cointelegraph, 06.04.2026), and on October 4, 2026 from the Indian one at the request of the ministry MeitY (Rediff); what else is restricted in that country we covered in VPN in India. Ordinary messenger alternatives that need the internet are listed in the selection of alternatives to WhatsApp and Telegram.
Satellite internet doesn't depend on local providers, so technically it survives a shutdown. But in many countries importing and using satellite terminals and phones without a license is illegal, and a tourist can face arrest for it.
The harshest example is Iran. Starlink is banned there, and since 2026 users and owners of terminals, according to the Iranian outlet Khabar Online (02.02.2026), face up to 10 years in prison. During the blackout the authorities jammed the GPS signal and confiscated satellite dishes. The UK Foreign Office warns: in Iran, satellite phones without government permission are prohibited. In India, according to the same advice, it's prohibited to carry satellite phones and even some GPS devices without a license, including in transit, and foreigners have been detained for it.
Before taking a satellite device, check the law of the destination country. We don't advise breaking local rules for the sake of connectivity.
Everything you'll need without internet must be downloaded and set up at home. During a shutdown you won't be able to install anything.
BessyConnect helps with partial restrictions: blocks of individual services, protocol filtering, throttling. During a complete internet shutdown it's useless, like any VPN.
Before and after a shutdown there's usually strict filtering, where camouflage matters. BessyConnect runs on VLESS with Reality camouflage: to filters, the traffic looks like ordinary HTTPS. There are more than 100 servers, no logs, no required registration, no device limit, and there's a trial period. If the VPN stopped connecting while the internet seems to be there, first check the reason using the guide why a VPN isn't working.
Install the app before your trip. BessyConnect isn't in the Russian App Store, so on iPhone you'll need an Apple ID from another country.
What a VPN doesn't solve: it won't bring the network back during a complete shutdown or a power outage, won't break through a whitelist, won't replace SMS and calls and won't help with card payments. And it doesn't cancel local laws: in Iran, for example, on April 7, 2026 police detained a person on charges of selling VPNs (Iran International).
What should I do if the internet is shut down completely? Switch to SMS and calls, use maps and files downloaded in advance, keep cash on hand. A VPN won't help at that moment, because it has nothing to connect through.
Can I message without internet? Yes, over short distances through mesh messengers like Bitchat or Briar, which pass messages over Bluetooth. The app must be installed in advance by everyone, and in some countries, such as China and India, it has been removed from the App Store.
How do I tell a shutdown from a block? With a block, individual sites and apps don't open while the rest of the internet works, and a VPN helps. With a shutdown, nothing loads, including the VPN connection.
Does Starlink work when the internet is shut down? Technically, satellite communication doesn't depend on local providers. But in Iran Starlink is banned and jammed, and in many countries satellite devices without a license are illegal.
How long do shutdowns last? It varies. In Afghanistan in 2025, about two days; in Tanzania, five days; in Iran in 2026, more than four months.
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