Storm season reliably takes out power across the South West — a single 2025 storm left around 55,000 WA customers without electricity, with Busselton, Dunsborough and Harvey among the hardest hit. What catches many businesses out is that when the power goes, the internet usually goes with it: your modem loses power, and so do the NBN and mobile towers nearby. Here’s how to keep trading.
Know what fails first
- Your modem and WiFi stop the instant the power does — even if the line outside is fine.
- NBN fixed wireless and fibre nodes rely on grid power too, and often drop within minutes.
- Mobile towers have limited battery backup; in a long outage, even mobile data can fade.
Practical ways to stay connected
- A UPS (battery backup) on your modem and router. A small uninterruptible power supply keeps your internet alive through short outages and protects the gear from surges when power returns.
- Mobile as a backup line. A phone hotspot or a mobile-broadband modem keeps card payments and email going while the tower has power. Know how to switch to it before you need it.
- Starlink with a battery. On rural sites where fixed-line and mobile both struggle, Starlink on a battery or small generator can be the most reliable option in an outage.
- A generator for longer outages. For businesses that can’t afford to close, a generator powering the essentials — till, internet, fridges — pays for itself in one bad storm.
Have a simple plan, not just gear
- Know how you’ll take payments if EFTPOS is down (a backup terminal or phone-based option).
- Keep key phone numbers and info accessible offline.
- Make sure someone knows how to switch to the backup connection.
Want your business set up to ride out the next storm without closing the doors? Book a resilience review. We’ll work out the right backup for your site and get it in place before summer and winter storms hit.