Is it possible for the internet to disappear in Lithuania?
Imagine a morning when you wake up and can no longer connect to the internet – banking apps do not work, remote work grinds to a halt, and navigation on your phone shows nothing but a blank screen. The average European today spends more than 6 hours a day online, so even short-lived connectivity disruptions are felt almost immediately. A few years ago such scenarios looked more like the plot of a techno-thriller, yet today, with the scale of cyber attacks and geopolitical tension in the region growing, the question of connection stability is becoming increasingly real.
„The internet has long ceased to be merely a source of information or entertainment – for many residents and businesses it is critical infrastructure for their daily activities. So it is natural to ask: is it really possible that one day it would simply disappear in Lithuania?“ says Artur Stefanovič, head of „Etanetas“, one of the first internet service providers in Lithuania.
International internet monitoring platforms record hundreds of more significant connectivity disruptions worldwide every year. For example, according to data from the „NetBlocks“ platform, in 2024 alone more than 400 larger-scale internet disruptions were recorded in various countries, most often caused by cyber attacks, infrastructure damage or power supply problems. Most such incidents occur in regions where infrastructure is less diversified or which operate under conditions of geopolitical tension.
The internet is not a single button
According to A. Stefanovič, although the idea of the internet disappearing may sound dramatic, in reality the internet is not one centralised network that could simply be „switched off“. It is a complex system of interconnected technological solutions and infrastructure, spanning international data transmission cables, local connectivity networks, data centres and various backup links.
It is precisely because of this multi-layered nature that internet operation usually remains stable even when faced with isolated technical disruptions or incidents. In other words, for connectivity to stop completely across the entire country, an extraordinary number of unfavourable circumstances would have to coincide at once.
„That said, it does not mean internet disruptions are impossible. In practice, connectivity can be affected by various factors – from large-scale cyber attacks to power supply disruptions or physical damage to infrastructure. Sometimes connection quality can also be affected by adverse weather conditions, especially when using mobile internet that depends on communication towers.
For example, if important data transmission links are severed or data centre operations are disrupted, some services may temporarily become unavailable. Such incidents are usually local or short-lived, yet even they clearly show how much importance reliable connectivity holds today. That is exactly why more and more attention is being paid to network resilience, the deployment of backup solutions and continuous infrastructure maintenance,“ says A. Stefanovič.
Strong infrastructure – greater resilience
Seen in the broader European context, Lithuania stands out with one of the best-developed internet infrastructures in the region. The country has a dense fibre-optic network that ensures high data transmission speed and stability both in the major cities and in smaller settlements.
According to the head of „Etanetas“, a competitive telecommunications market and the investment of different operators in network expansion increase the overall resilience of the system – when one link fails, it is often possible to use alternative routes or technological solutions. This means that in Lithuania internet connectivity is not only fast, but also sufficiently reliable even under more difficult circumstances.
Lithuania can be proud of having one of the fastest internet connections in Europe. According to various international speed studies, in recent years the country has consistently ranked among Europe's top five for fibre-optic internet. It is therefore natural that for Lithuanians a stable, disruption-free connection has today become a self-evident part of everyday life, both in their personal lives and in economic activity.
Be that as it may, remote work, digital payments, e-government services and smart logistics systems only work as long as uninterrupted data transmission is ensured. Even short-lived disruptions can have real consequences – from temporarily halted business processes to inconvenience for residents or a heightened sense of uncertainty.
„Although the possibility of connectivity disruptions can never be ruled out entirely, today's technological reality shows that an internet that „disappears“ on a nationwide scale is an unlikely scenario. It is far more important to keep strengthening network resilience, to invest in modernising infrastructure and to build public understanding of the importance of digital security. A stable connection is becoming one of the fundamental conditions for the smooth functioning of the state and of business, so its reliability will be no less important in the future than it is today,“ affirms A. Stefanovič.