In its latest quarterly report, Cloudflare notes a clear increase in the number of internet outages worldwide during the first quarter of 2026. The company observes not only more incidents, but also outages that last longer and are more frequently caused by social or geopolitical factors.
According to the researchers, the current situation differs from previous periods when technical issues were the primary cause. Whereas outages were traditionally often attributable to cable breaks, configuration errors, or software issues, broader societal and geopolitical circumstances now play a role. As a result, disruptions are becoming less predictable and, in many cases, more difficult to resolve.
A notable development is that governments in several countries deliberately restricted or completely shut down the internet. These interventions occurred in response to political tensions, social unrest, or elections, and had direct consequences for the accessibility of online services.
In addition, the findings show how dependent internet infrastructure is on a stable power supply. In several countries, instability in the power grid led to large-scale outages of internet services. When the power supply fails, networks, data centers, and mobile infrastructure also come to a standstill, further exposing the vulnerability of digital systems. The researchers note that such incidents occur more frequently in regions with outdated or overburdened energy infrastructure.
Physical attacks target digital infrastructure
Physical threats are also playing an increasingly significant role. The report mentions attacks on data centers and other critical infrastructure. This points to a trend where internet services are becoming targets not only digitally but also physically. Because many online services rely on centralized cloud environments, the impact of such attacks can quickly spread across multiple countries and sectors.
Cloudflare concludes that the internet is increasingly influenced by factors outside the traditional IT sphere. Political decision-making, energy security, and geopolitical tensions are contributing to an ever-greater extent to the stability—or instability—of the network. This makes the digital ecosystem more complex and calls for a broader approach to risk management.