One more order and internet comes to a standstill, how do governments take the entire country offline?

By Samira Vishwas On Jan 11, 2026

In today’s digital era, Internet has become the backbone of our everyday life. From banking, education, business, hospital to government services, almost every work is dependent on the internet. In such a situation, when the internet suddenly stops, it is natural for the common people to have a question as to how the government stops the entire internet connectivity within minutes. Is a single button really pressed, or is a complex system at work behind it?

Actually shutting down the internet is not as easy as turning off a switch, but governments have the legal and technical powers with the help of which they can take this step. Under the law in many countries, including India, governments can suspend internet services in case of national security, public order or emergency.

Technically the Internet works at many levels. Internet Service Providers (ISPs), telecom companies, mobile network operators and international gateways together provide the Internet to common users in the country. When the government orders to shut down the Internet, this instruction is sent directly to the telecom companies and Internet service providers. After this the companies stop the data traffic on their networks.

Internet shutdowns can take many forms. Sometimes only mobile data is stopped, and sometimes broadband services are also affected. In some cases, only social media platforms or messaging apps are blocked, while in severe cases, entire internet connectivity is disrupted.

According to technical experts, this process has now become much faster than before. Through network control system and centralized commands, telecom companies can stop internet services in a particular area, city or entire state within a few minutes. This is the reason why many times the internet suddenly stops working despite people having network on their phones.

Governments commonly cite Internet shutdowns as a reason to stop rumors, curb violence, or prevent the spread of sensitive information. However, this decision has a direct impact on common citizens, students, businessmen and digital workers. Online education comes to a halt, digital payments come to a halt and small businessmen suffer huge losses.

Questions are often raised on the decision to shut down the internet. Human rights organizations and technical experts believe that the Internet has become a basic necessity today and shutting it down completely should be the last option. Instead, more emphasis should be placed on targeted and limited measures.