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<p><i>Part of an email from Alistair Carmichael MP:</i></p>
<p>Catastrophic damage can happen in an instant; repairing that
damage takes time. That is true of telecommunications cables under
the sea; it is true, too, of the reputations of telecommunications
companies themselves.<br>
Hundreds of people in the isles were left without internet from
the early hours of Saturday 26 July until Friday 8 August, due to
an apparent accidental cable cut. Repairs to the cable \u2013 disrupted
further by summer storms \u2013 have finally ended almost two weeks of
disruption which harmed local services, businesses and individual
families.<br>
No one has covered themselves in glory over the Shefa-2 cable
break, but the Hall of Infamy for this incident surely must place
TalkTalk at its head. Their snub of islanders seeking answers and
support has left people utterly outraged \u2013 and with good cause. <br>
<br>
TalkTalk must meet with islanders and account for service failures<br>
<br>
Some network providers were at least prepared for disruption of
this sort. Indeed it is because some companies had thought ahead
and had access to alternative connections that most people in the
isles were not (directly) affected by the cable cut.<br>
Then there is TalkTalk. The messages I and others have received
from them have been dismissive and evasive, shifting blame and
refusing to engage with local frustrations about their service and
their communication. To hear it from TalkTalk there is nothing
that they could or can do beyond sitting on their hands. The
reality that other providers were able to secure alternative
coverage apparently does not merit any discussion.<br>
That would be bad enough if the company were at least willing to
make itself accountable to its customers, but instead TalkTalk
have refused all requests to meet virtually, let alone to send a
representative to the isles to account for their actions \u2013 or lack
thereof.<br>
I suspect that many islanders will remember the sort of treatment
they have had from companies such as TalkTalk when it comes to
renewing contracts in the months and years to come.<br>
These are the moments where business reputations are made, or
damaged beyond repair. TalkTalk found it convenient to claim that
there was nothing they could do to support customers while the
Shefa-2 cable was being fixed. They may find that repairing their
reputation in the Northern Isles is out of their hands now as
well.</p>
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