Openreach apologises after Bressay broadband disruption

BROADBAND services in Bressay were disrupted for many residents last week due to faulty equipment.

The problem involved radio links to a wireless broadband cabinet on the island.

Other ADSL broadband and mobile services were not affected, network operator Openreach said.

Engineers initially spotted an intermittent problem with radio equipment at the Lerwick end and carried out repairs last Sunday.

Openreach said further bad weather then hit, causing more damage, with the link going down just after 10pm on Monday night (7 November).

Local engineers tried to fix it without success, a spokesperson said, and specialists were ferried over on Wednesday night, joining the repair effort on Thursday.

They worked in difficult conditions to replace and upgrade equipment at both ends and fully restore the link about 4pm on Friday.

The Openreach spokesperson said: “We know how much people depend on their broadband and we’re sorry for the down time.

“We’d like to thank everyone who was affected on Bressay for their patience while our engineers worked in difficult conditions to restore service.”

Bressay Community Council chairman Alistair Christie-Henry said there is a mix of broadband options utilised by residents on the island, including mobile and satellite.

He added that the community council was undertaking a piece of work to map out the broadband situation in Bressay.