Web connection gone in a flash
Lightningcutsoff Pitlochry
Repair crews have been under pressure to restore broadband connections to homes and businesses in Pitlochry.
There has been a huge backlog to work through after storms this month caused “devastation” to network equipment.
The team at Milton of Fonab Caravan Park lost scores of site bookings and staff were attempting to continue running the computers using mobile hotpots.
The site broadband was returned on Thursday evening, nine days after the August 12 thunderstorm.
Owner Jill Scougall said in the first few days after the lightning storm she had to turn away enquiries as she could not get into the system to allocate the park’s 130 pitches.
“While we could not access our booking system, visitors just said ‘thanks’ and went somewhere else,” she explained.
“After being closed for so long earlier in the season it’s been heartbreaking to lose even more business.
“We could not provide those staying with the internet we advertise, which was disappointing for them.
“I had no advice at all from BT over how to overcome the broadband problem.
“It was only when one of our customers suggested we could use mobile phones to make use of internet hotspots that we were able to do business again, albeit in a pretty compromised fashion.
“We had well over a full working week at the caravan park without broadband.
“We pay dearly for our broadband service. Whatever the difficulties, this delay was not acceptable.”
Jill said she had also had problems at home in the aftermath of the storm but her personal phone and broadband had now also been fixed.
Pitlochry’s worst-hit areas were located towards Moulin.
Residents without a connection who work from home had been weary of having to find alternative places to set up where they can get on a friend’s satellite broadband.
Last week an Openreach spokesperson said: “We’ve experienced unprecedented damage to our network in Pitlochry – and across Perthshire – due to the severe and prolonged lightning storms.
“We currently have 75 faults on individual lines in Pitlochry and our engineers are still uncovering melted joints and cables and even poles that have been split in two in the wake of the severe weather.
“Our engineers are working flat out to get to everyone affected and we’re bringing in extra people to join our local workforce on the ground.
“We’re really sorry for the disruption to service the storm has wrought.
“Repairs to lightning damage are often pain-staking and time-consuming as it can cause multiple faults at various points on a single line.
“Lightning can also take time to manifest so faults may not become apparent until several days after a strike.
“In some cases residents’ equipment may have been blown by lightning but the line may not be affected.
“Unplugging the existing equipment and testing the line with a different modem or phone will help to establish if an engineering visit is needed.
“Visits will be organised by the customer’s service provider so it’s really important to report faults to the company you pay your bill to, who can help with these checks and other practicalities.”
Openreach told the PA: “We have engineers of 30-plus years’ standing saying they’ve never seen anything like the devastation caused.”