Welsh Households Remain Without Phone or Internet Service Weeks After Storm Darragh

Approximately two weeks after Storm Darragh struck, certain residences in Wales continue to lack phone line and broadband services. Michael Cordell, a 69-year-old resident of Carmarthenshire, reported that approximately 100 nearby properties are still without communication services. Given that his village also lacks mobile signal, he expressed that their only hope is for services to be restored prior to Christmas. Openreach, responsible for maintaining connections on behalf of service provider BT, stated it has intensified its efforts, attributing the situation to damage sustained by hundreds of telegraph poles and overhead cables. Mr. Cordell, residing in Trap, commented: “As far as the telephone lines and the broadband go, we’re still without power.” He added: “We have no communications and can’t use broadband, WhatsApp or the internet at all.” Characterizing the circumstances as “frustrating,” he further noted that individuals are compelled to travel four or five miles to obtain a mobile signal. Mr. Cordell recounted being informed by BT on 9 December that his service would be restored by 12 December; however, this did not occur. A subsequent date of 17 December was provided, yet the issue persisted. “BT told me an engineer had been sent out but a more experienced or senior engineer was required,” Mr. Cordell stated. He continued: “That’s when the date was put back to the 27 December and that’s where we stand at the moment.” In the vicinity of Tregaron in Ceredigion, Carol Coltman, 66, is similarly experiencing a lack of phone line and broadband connectivity. She explained that the circumstances have significantly complicated the care of her 87-year-old mother, who suffers from multiple health conditions. With limited mobile signal at their residence and no landline available for calls, Ms. Coltman mentioned having to traverse her garden in an attempt to acquire a signal if she needed to contact emergency services for an ambulance. She further indicated that she, too, had received multiple projected resolution dates for the issue. “It’s made me very anxious and frustrated that BT just don’t seem to care,” Ms. Coltman remarked. An Openreach spokesperson confirmed that the company had logged over 7,500 public reports of damage subsequent to Storm Darragh and affirmed they had been “working around the clock in all weather to restore service.” They elaborated that the restoration efforts “required a combination of tree cutting and telegraph pole replacement.” While expressing apologies for the disruption, they stated that engineers are “working to get everybody back online.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.