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Severe BT broadband fault causes chaos          16/2/12

Hundreds of households, businesses and shops have bene affected by a complete BT broadband failure in the Stornoway area.

BT internet connections collapsed just after midnight on Tuesday night and has been down since. The problem extends beyonfd the town boundaries and into the Laxdale and Marybank districts.  

It has badly hit shops with the Co-op supermarkets and Superdrugs unable to take bank or credit card payments from customers. Shops have posted notices indicating they cannot accept electonic purchases and are only taking hard cash at the till.

It resulted in a run on banks’ cash machines with some emptying fast. The extra number of shoppers who went to withdraw money from the hole-in-the-wall discovered machines had no notes left.

MSP Alasdair Allan has raised the problem with the Head of Scottish Affairs at BT - by telephone as e-mail and internet communications for BT customers are also down.

Alasdair Allan commented: “For the last couple of days it would seem a large part of the Stornoway area has been without a BT internet connection, something which has affected a considerable number of homes and businesses.

“To make matters more frustrating when you eventually get through to BT on the phone they admit that the department dealing with technical issues is “non-customer facing,” something which they have explained to me means that they do not speak to anyone whom a BT customer is likely to be able to get hold of on the phone.

“I have taken this matter up with the Head of Scottish Affairs at BT this morning by phone, who has undertaken to look into this issue. It is important this matter is resolved quickly for all the homes and businesses which to date have had little information about when services will resume.”