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From September 29 to October 6, 2025, satellite-based TV and internet services across many regions will face brief daily disruptions. All due to a natural phenomenon known as a “sun outage.” These events occur when the Sun aligns directly behind geostationary satellites relative to ground antennas, causing solar radio emissions to overwhelm signals. Early morning windows each day during this period are the most vulnerable, experts warn.
What Exactly Is a Sun Outage and How Long Will It Last
A sun outage, sometimes called solar fade or solar interference, happens twice a year for satellites in geostationary orbit. Netizens are advised that the sun outage is not a man-made glitch or cyber threat. it’s simply the Sun’s immense radio noise drowning out satellite signals when aligned directly behind the satellite.
In Pakistan’s case, the expected disruptions will vary from three to thirteen minutes daily during the early mornings (around 8:30am local time), depending on the date. For example, on September 29 the outage window is about three minutes. On September 30, it stretches to nine minutes while on October 2 and 3 it could be roughly thirteen minutes.
How Many and What Kind of Services Are Affected
The outage can interfere with TV channels, satellite internet, and broadcasts that rely on geostationary satellites. Providers should warn both domestic and overseas clients, especially those who depend entirely on satellite signals for connectivity.
It’s important to note that not all internet service is affected. Services delivered via fiber, undersea cables, or terrestrial wireless networks are largely safe. But in remote areas where satellite is the main or only connection, even short disruptions can hurt.
On the other hand, Pakistan already faces frequent internet disruptions due to submarine cable faults, regulatory issues, and bandwidth constraints. When sun outages occur, the cumulative effect adds another layer of instability for satellite-dependent services.
What Can Users & Providers Do Against Sun Outage
Satellite operators typically issue schedules ahead of the sun outage window, allowing broadcasters and users to prepare. Redundancy via alternate signal paths, caching content locally, or scheduling non-time-sensitive downloads outside of outage windows helps. Some providers may raise transmission power temporarily or implement guard bands to mitigate signal loss.
Users can expect glitchy TV or slower internet at certain times in the morning. If you depend on satellite internet, see if your service offers fallback options (e.g. mobile data) or whether you can buffer streaming content ahead of the outage.
