News / Broadband cable repair underway
AFTER more than three weeks of no broadband internet for some in Shetland, connection could be restored later today (Tuesday).
Faroese Telecom managing director Páll Højgaard Vesturbú confirmed to Shetland News that repair work to the subsea SHEFA-2 cable near Orkney is underway as planned today.
“Progress so far has been good, and we expect the connection to be restored later this afternoon or evening,” he said shortly before 1pm on Tuesday.
The fault on the cable in shallow waters off Orkney occurred on Friday 3 October, and it is understood the cable may have been worn down by the elements.
It is said that the location of the fault has made the operation tricky, with surveys needing to be carried out before any repair work could take place.
The fault saw broadband provision in Shetland for customers on some providers such as Vodafone, Sky and TalkTalk drop completely.
But some providers were unaffected, including those under the BT banner given that the company said it can access back-up cable.
It echoed similar disruption in July and August following damage to a different section to Faroese Telecom’s SHEFA-2 cable, which was caused by a fishing boat.
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