Sun Outages Explained

What are sun outages?

A sun outage, or sun fade, happens when a satellite passes directly between the earth and the sun, interrupting satellite signals for several minutes at a time. This affects satellite-provided services, including mobile and internet services. Sun outages happen semi-annually, around the last week of February and the first week of October each year. The disruption generally does not last longer than about 15 minutes a day for several consecutive days.

When is the next sun outage period?

Sun outages typically happen twice a year in Alaska — once in the spring and once in the fall.

From October 8 to October 19, 2025, customers in satellite served communities will experience service interruptions. These interruptions may occur on a few consecutive days, lasting up to 15 minutes between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Alaska time. Some communities may be impacted again for up to 15 minutes between 4 and 5 p.m., Alaska time. The dates of impact will vary among communities, depending on their geographical location and the location of the satellites.

The following communities may be affected:

When was the last sun outage period?

From February 20 to March 2, 2025, customers in satellite-served communities experienced service interruptions.