An outage is not always a shutdown
Connectivity drops can come from cable faults, power loss, or DDoS. A deliberate shutdown is usually distinguished by its timing, its alignment with political events, and whether traffic collapses across an entire network while infrastructure remains physically intact.
Independent measurement matters
H3XA triangulates multiple independent views: traffic maps, active censorship probes, and request-volume telemetry. Agreement across independent sources raises confidence; a single-source drop does not.
Pattern over time is the story
Repeated shutdowns at predictable times — elections, exams, protests, anniversaries — are a stronger signal than a one-off event. The pattern, not any single incident, is what analysts watch.
What this means
An internet disruption is both an infrastructure fact and a geopolitical indicator. Use the disruption view to see where connectivity is changing, then inspect the underlying incidents before drawing conclusions about intent.