Residents and businesses in Shetland have faced broadband and phone disruptions after a subsea fibre cable was damaged – the second major incident in just three months.
The cable, known as SHEFA-2, carries broadband and communications links between the Scottish mainland and Shetland. Engineers are currently working to identify and repair the fault, but poor weather conditions have slowed progress.
The break is believed to have occurred north of Orkney, affecting traffic carried by multiple providers, including Sky, Vodafone, TalkTalk and BT. Many customers have reported losing internet access, experiencing dropouts, or seeing slower speeds as network traffic is rerouted through backup connections.
The damage follows a similar subsea fault earlier this year, raising questions about the vulnerability of the islands’ digital infrastructure. The affected cable runs deep under the North Atlantic and is part of a network originally installed to link the Faroe Islands, Orkney and Shetland with mainland Scotland.
For island communities like Shetland, a single break can have major consequences. Broadband is essential for everything from small businesses and schools to healthcare, online shopping and staying in touch with family. When the link fails, alternatives are limited – satellite connections or slower microwave links can’t fully replace the lost capacity.
Openreach engineers are coordinating with cable operators to restore full service as soon as possible. In the meantime, some traffic is being routed through redundant paths via Orkney and microwave backup systems, helping to maintain partial connectivity.
Local councils and community groups are calling for more resilient infrastructure, including a second fibre route to provide permanent backup for Shetland and the other northern isles.
