The Power's Out. Can You Still Reach Your Family?
When the grid goes down, cable internet and cell service can go down with it. Starlink connects through satellites, not neighborhood lines, so with a battery powering the dish, you stay online for news, shutoff updates, work, and family.
I use Starlink at my own home in the Sierra foothills. I've spent 10 years helping California homeowners prepare for outages, and keeping the internet on is the part most people forget. — Ed Watts
Disclosure: the Starlink button is my personal referral link. If you order through it, Starlink's referral program may give us both a service credit. Starlink sets those terms, and your price is the same either way.
Does Starlink work during a power outage?
Yes, as long as the dish has power. The standard Starlink kit draws about 75 to 100 watts. A portable power station can run it for many hours, and a Powerwall with solar can run it for an entire multi-day shutoff.
Why Does Your Internet Go Out When the Power Goes Out?
Your internet goes out because your own modem and router need electricity. Even when your provider's network stays up, the equipment in your house goes dark the moment the grid does. In a long shutoff, the provider's neighborhood equipment and nearby cell towers can run out of backup power too. There are three weak points, and a shutoff can hit all of them.
The equipment in your house
Your modem, router, and Wi-Fi all plug into the wall. No power at home means no internet, even if your provider is still online. This is the failure almost everyone hits first.
Cable and fiber lines in your neighborhood
The boxes on poles and street corners that carry cable and fiber need power too. In high fire-threat areas, state rules require backup power, but providers can request exceptions. Outside those zones, there's no 72-hour requirement.
Nearby cell towers
Cell towers run on backup batteries or generators during a shutoff. When the whole area switches to phone data at once, service can slow to a crawl, and a shutoff longer than the backup lasts can take a tower down.
Starlink skips weak points 2 and 3. The dish on your roof talks directly to satellites, so it doesn't depend on the cable boxes or cell towers in your area. Weak point 1 still applies: the dish needs power. That's where a battery comes in, covered in the next section.
Starlink vs Cable vs Cell Hotspot During a PSPS
| During a shutoff | Starlink | Cable / Fiber | Phone Hotspot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depends on local lines or towers | ✓ No, connects by satellite | ✗ Yes, neighborhood equipment | ✗ Yes, nearby cell towers |
| Needs power at your home | △ Yes, about 75–100W | △ Yes, modem and router | ✓ Phone battery only |
| Slows down when everyone's online | ✓ Not tied to local congestion | △ Only if the network stays up | ✗ Often, as the area floods cell data |
| Lasts a multi-day shutoff | ✓ Yes, with battery backup | △ Only while provider backup lasts | △ Only while tower backup lasts |
| Good for video calls and working from home | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes, when it's up | △ Limited by signal and data caps |
| Works in rural and foothill areas | ✓ Yes, with a clear view of the sky | △ Where lines exist | △ Where signal exists |
Starlink draws more power than a typical modem and router, so it needs a battery sized for it. Satellite service can still be affected by heavy obstructions, severe weather, or rare network-wide Starlink outages. Backup rules for providers are set by the CPUC and apply to Tier 2 and Tier 3 High Fire-Threat Districts.
Get Starlink set up and tested on battery power before the next shutoff notice hits your phone.
How Long Can a Battery Run Starlink During an Outage?
A mid-size portable power station runs Starlink for about one to one and a half days. A Tesla Powerwall 3 can run it for several days on its own, and indefinitely when rooftop solar recharges it. The standard Starlink kit uses about 75 to 100 watts, so the math is simple: battery size divided by that draw.
Starlink Runtime by Battery: Starlink Alone vs Starlink Plus Essentials
| Battery | Starlink only | Starlink + fridge, lights & phones | Recharges during a shutoff? |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLUETTI Elite 100 V21,024 Wh · $499 | About 9–12 hours | About 4–5 hours | △ Only with portable solar panels |
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 Ultra3,072 Wh · about $1,349 on sale | About 26–35 hours | About 13–15 hours | △ Only with portable solar panels (up to 800W input) |
| Tesla Powerwall 313.5 kWh · 30% off with our prepaid lease | About 5–7 days | About 3 days without solar | ✓ Yes, automatically from rooftop solar every day |
Estimates, not guarantees. Assumes Starlink draws 75–100W and portable stations deliver about 85% of rated capacity after converting to household power. "Essentials" assumes about 100W of average added load from a refrigerator, LED lights, and phone charging. Bigger fridges, freezers, well pumps, or medical equipment shorten runtime. Powerwall figures assume it's powering only these loads. † Run your whole-home numbers with our Powerwall Calculator.
A BLUETTI Elite 100 V2 keeps Starlink up through the night. It's the budget pick for renters and short shutoffs.
Compare BLUETTI models →An EcoFlow DELTA 3 Ultra runs Starlink alone for about a day and a half, close to the average 41-hour shutoff.
Check DELTA 3 Ultra price ↗A Powerwall 3 with solar keeps Starlink, your fridge, and your AC running for the length of the shutoff, 30% off with our prepaid lease.
See my Powerwall price →How Do You Set Up Starlink to Work in a Power Outage?
Plug Starlink into a backup battery, test it, and set it up before fire season. With only 24 to 48 hours' notice before a shutoff, there's no time to order, install, and troubleshoot. These seven steps take an afternoon and keep you connected when the grid goes down.
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Order and install before fire season
Shipping and setup take time, and availability varies by address. Check Starlink availability at your address now, not when the shutoff alert arrives.
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Give the dish a clear view of the sky
Trees and rooflines cause dropouts. Use the obstruction check in the Starlink app before you mount the dish, especially on wooded foothill lots.
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Put Starlink on backup power Most important
With a Powerwall, make sure the outlet Starlink plugs into is on a backed-up circuit. With a portable station, plug Starlink's power supply straight into the station's AC outlet. Without this step, Starlink goes dark with everything else.
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Test it on battery power Do this once
Run Starlink on battery for an hour and make a video call. You'll know it works, and you'll see how fast your battery drains with your real setup.
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Turn on Wi-Fi calling on every phone
Most phones can call and text over Wi-Fi. If nearby cell towers go down, you can still reach family and emergency contacts through Starlink. Find it in your phone's calling or cellular settings.
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Set a sleep schedule to stretch your battery
The Starlink app has a sleep schedule that powers the dish down during set hours, such as overnight. On a portable station, that can add hours of runtime to a long shutoff.
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Charge everything when the alert comes in
Sign up for PSPS alerts from PG&E, SCE, or SDG&E. When a notice arrives, top off your portable station. Powerwall owners can turn on Storm Watch in the Tesla app so the battery charges to full ahead of severe weather.
Don't have Starlink yet? Step one is the only one that takes real lead time. Get it set up while the grid is still on.
Get Starlink ↗Want Your Whole Home Running, Not Just Your Wi-Fi?
A Tesla Powerwall 3 with solar keeps your whole home running through a shutoff, Starlink included. It switches on the instant the grid drops, and your panels recharge it every day, so you're not rationing a portable battery hour by hour. See how it compares with portable options in our home backup power guide.
How many of these run at the same time depends on your system size. Larger homes and heavy loads often use two Powerwalls.
Powerwall 3 with our prepaid lease
Pay a discounted amount upfront in cash or with a loan. The system is insured, monitored, and maintained for 6 years, then ownership transfers to you at no extra cost.
Savings in energy community zones
Some California addresses qualify for an additional discount on top of the 30%. It depends on your exact address, so we check it for you before you commit to anything.
Utility battery rebates, if you qualify
Eligible customers can stack PG&E's battery rebate or SMUD's battery rebate with the prepaid lease. See all home battery options.
Free · 90 seconds · No credit pull · Installed by our licensed install partner · Prefer to talk? Call or text (209) 216-8180
Starlink During a Power Outage: Common Questions
Does Starlink work when the power goes out?
Yes, as long as the dish has power. Starlink connects through satellites, so it doesn't rely on the local cable lines or cell towers that can fail in a shutoff. Plug it into a portable power station or a backed-up Powerwall circuit and it keeps working while the grid is down.
How much power does Starlink use?
The standard Starlink kit uses about 75 to 100 watts. Running all day, that's roughly 1.8 to 2.4 kilowatt-hours. Usage rises with heavy uploads, bad weather, or obstructions. Older dishes and the high-performance kit can draw more, according to DISHYtech's power testing.
How long will a portable power station run Starlink?
About 9 to 12 hours per 1,000 watt-hours of battery. A BLUETTI Elite 100 V2 runs Starlink overnight, and an EcoFlow DELTA 3 Ultra runs it for about 26 to 35 hours. Adding a fridge and lights cuts those times roughly in half. A sleep schedule in the Starlink app stretches them further.
Can a Tesla Powerwall run Starlink during a shutoff?
Yes. A Powerwall 3 could run Starlink alone for about 5 to 7 days, and with rooftop solar it recharges every day. Most homeowners use it for Starlink plus the fridge, lights, and AC. Our prepaid lease takes 30% off Powerwall 3. See your Powerwall price.
Can I call family or 911 over Starlink if cell towers go down?
Yes, if your phone has Wi-Fi calling turned on. Most phones can call and text over Wi-Fi, which lets you use Starlink when nearby towers are out. Set your emergency address in your phone's Wi-Fi calling settings so 911 can find you.
Is Starlink available in rural and foothill areas of California?
In most of California, yes. Starlink works anywhere with a clear view of the sky, which makes it popular in foothill and rural areas without cable. Availability and capacity vary by address, so check your address on Starlink's site before fire season.
Does ordering through your referral link cost more?
No. Your price is the same whether you use my link or go to Starlink directly. If you order through my referral link, Starlink's referral program may give us both a service credit. Starlink sets those terms and can change them.
Get Starlink set up and tested on battery power now, while the grid is still on. When the lights go out, you'll still have news, work, and a way to reach your family.
Disclosure: the Starlink button is my personal referral link. Your price is the same either way, and Starlink's referral program may give us both a service credit.