IRELAND HAS BEEN hit by many bouts of severe weather in the last few weeks, including ice warnings, high winds, and severe flooding.

Severe weather events pose many risks, so it is very important that you can connect with your phone and broadband throughout. Whether you need to contact emergency services, friends, or family, you can take steps to make sure that severe weather doesn’t impact your connectivity. 

The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) has issued advice for households across Ireland as to how they can prepare themselves for weather events and ensure they have strategies in place to deal with issues with their phone or broadband service that often accompany bad weather. 

The best approach to maintaining your connectivity is to prepare ahead of time. There are many things you can do before the bad weather hits that will put you in a strong position for the duration of the storm.

The most important thing is to charge your devices. Keep mobile devices and power banks charged.

Keep your mobile device up to date: Devices that can connect to more than one network type, such as 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G, are likely to regain service more quickly after a disruption.

• Enable Wi-Fi calling on your mobile for better connectivity during outages.
• If you have a prepay phone, make sure that your credit is topped up.
• Use a battery backup for essential devices and broadband connectivity.
• Set up emergency contacts and Medical ID on your mobile.
• Keep a written list of your most important contacts.
• Keep a battery radio for updates during outages.
• Inform your service providers of any additional needs you may have.

After the bad weather has begun in earnest, there are also things you can do that can serve as solutions for any interruption in mobile coverage.

• Use Wi-Fi calling on your mobile to make calls and texts over your home broadband, if available from your provider.
• Your mobile phone may be used as a personal hotspot to provide internet access to other devices.
• A surge protector for sensitive equipment, like routers, modems and landline phones, can help reduce the risk of damage from power surges caused by lightning strikes.
• Use apps like WhatsApp, Messenger or FaceTime. These apps can enable you to make calls from your mobile using your home broadband.
• Limit your mobile usage, enable battery saver mode, and lower brightness to conserve your phone battery.
• If your power is out, remember that you can charge your devices using your vehicle’s USB or power outlet, in many cases. 

Once the weather has passed, you’ll be in a much better position. Nevertheless, there are still steps you can take to keep yourself well-informed as to the conditions outside your home.

• Check for service updates and stay informed about restoration efforts.
• Report outages to your provider if you have lost service to ensure they have a record.
• Contact your provider and inquire about any credits or refunds for time without  service.

Be sure to visit ComReg’s website today for further guidance on how to prepare your phone and broadband for severe weather, so you can take practical steps to stay connected.