INTL Major outage to phone, mobile and internet on Shetland after 'break' in undersea cable-Update Post 15, CUT per BBC

Melodi

Melodi

Disaster Cat
I am posting this as a separate thread because of the concerns about undersea cables and pipelines right now. The entire Island of Shetland as in Shetland Wool is without internet and all phone services because the cable has been broken or cut. This may be something natural but it could also be seriously important - depending on what the situation turns out to be. Also, if more of this happens in the Isles (including Iceland) or Mainland Europe.
news.sky.com

Major outage to phone, mobile and internet on Shetland after 'break' in undersea cable

Shetland is connected via a cable that runs from the Faroe Islands to Aberdeenshire in mainland Scotland - but damage to it has caused major communication problems.
news.sky.com news.sky.com
Major outage to phone, mobile and internet on Shetland after 'break' in undersea cable

Shetland is connected via a cable that runs from the Faroe Islands to Aberdeenshire in mainland Scotland - but damage to it has caused major communication problems.

Thursday 20 October 2022 12:37, UK

A break in an undersea cable has caused serious disruption to landline, internet and mobile services in the Shetland Islands.

Police said on Thursday morning that engineers were "working to fix a complete outage affecting its connection to the main line".

The Shetland Times reported that the disruption could last until the end of Saturday and said BT had texted customers to say it was trying to fix a "major outage".

Many shops are unable to process card payments and cash machines are not working, according to local media.

However, Shetland Broadband services are understood to be unaffected.

BT said the outage was caused by a "break" in a third-party undersea cable.

"Engineers are working to divert services via other routes as soon as possible and we'll provide further updates. Our external subsea provider is also looking to restore their link quickly," said a BT Group statement.
 
Dollar Short

Dollar Short

Veteran Member
The article linked below mentions that this is the second cut in service recently. Definitely worth tracking these types of stories since the possibility of sabotage definitely exists....

SNIP:
The incident follows damage to another subsea cable connecting Shetland with the Faroe Islands last week, which is due to be repaired on Saturday.

Páll Vesturbú, the head of infrastructure for Faroese Telecom, said the damage was probably caused by a trawler. “We expect it will be fishing vessels that damaged the cable but it is very rare that we have two problems at the same time,” he said.


Shetland telecom outage
 
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Wildweasel

Wildweasel

F-4 Phantoms Phorever
Millwright said:
Shetland Islands are not much of a target, IMO.

Probably a genuine accident.
Click to expand...
Not the civilian activities to make the cable a target. But there are long-range radar sites on the Faroes and Shetlands plus undersea listening systems to monitor Russian air and sea traffic thru the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap into the Atlantic that use those communications cables.

A very inviting target if you want to be able to move a lot of missile subs out to sea or send a large force of bombers towards the US coast or to bypass eastward searching European air defenses by coming in over the Atlantic.
 
Millwright

Millwright

Knuckle Dragger
_______________
Some of our infrastructure has transitioned away from the regular interwebz wires.

They now have dedicated fiber AND backup microwave hops for redundancy.

I doubt that critical .mil installations are totally dependent on regular internet pipes.

WAG, they probably even have their own satellite links.
 
D

Double_A

TB Fanatic
adgal said:
Unless you were coming south in the Norwegian Sea toward the Atlantic and didn't want the folks in the Faroe Islands or Shetland to communicate about it.
Click to expand...

ETA: Interesting I went back and read comments posted while I was composing mine. With those in contexts the comment I made below about the movie is even more fitting.

Interesting I just flashed on one of my fav movies. Eye of the Needle, Donald Sutherland plays a NAZI spy in WWII, wrecks on a tiny island. Loneliness, lust, life and death drama unfold as Sutherland has to get vital info back to nazis and they try to stop him when they realize who he is.
 
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Melodi

Melodi

Disaster Cat
Between the Faroe Islands and now Shetland, I suspect the Irish Defense forces and others suspect this may be more than just accidents and now the BBC is reporting the latest cable problem was a cut, not a break. So there are attacks going on, they may be starting out small because the smaller island cables are easier to practice on.
www.thejournal.ie

Major operation launched in Irish Sea to protect subsea cables from attacks

It is understood that the mission was ordered after the attacks on the Nordsteam pipelines caused significant disquiet in Government.
www.thejournal.ie www.thejournal.ie
Major operation launched in Irish Sea to protect subsea cables from attacks
It is understood that the mission was ordered after the attacks on the Nordsteam pipelines caused significant disquiet in Government.
56 minutes ago 8,127 Views 16 Comments Share1 Tweet Email
The LÉ Róisín at Roches Point in Cork Harbour. The LÉ Róisín at Roches Point in Cork Harbour.
Image: Alamy Stock Photo
Updated 42 minutes ago

A MAJOR OPERATION has been launched in the Irish Sea by the Defence Forces to prevent and respond to attacks on undersea cables, The Journal has learned.

Sources have said that the mission has been ordered by the Department of Defence and began last week.

It involves the Irish Air Corps and Naval Service with assistance when required from specialist units such as the Army Ranger Wing, military intelligence officers and members of the Communication Information Services Corps.

The aim of the operation is, according to security sources, to “increase presence” in the waters above the cables and pipelines.

It is understood that the attacks on the Nord Steam pipelines in the Baltic has caused significant disquiet in Government and to counter any potential risk to the infrastructure they have deployed the Defence Forces on a dedicated operation.

The Irish Sea pipelines and cables include two natural gas interconnectors which connect Ireland to a supply hub in Scotland.

They come ashore in Loughshinny and Gormanstown on the coastline of Dublin and Co Meath.

There is also an electricity cable running between the Welsh and Irish coastline which is considered under threat.

The Defence Forces began in the last week to monitor the infrastructure with “targeted patrols” with prioritisation given to the gas lines but also the electricity supply.

The patrols by the Naval Service involve at least two vessels and are focused on a so-called overt presence which is to monitor any suspicious ships or activity in the area.

It is hoped that the presence of the Naval Service would deter any would-be attackers from sabotaging the pipeline infrastructure. Sources have said that the operations do not involve a subsea capability.

One key reason for placing the vessels in the area, along with other assets such as the Irish Air Corps on standby, is to respond quickly if an incident happens.

It is also understood that specific orders have been made to have the Army Ranger Wing be used to respond but only if required by commanders.

Intelligence

Sources have said that much of the work of the military teams involved will be focused on information gathered by state intelligence services including the Defence Force’s J2 unit.

Separately there are also orders to monitor activities more broadly in the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone.

Sources have expressed concern that the operation will stretch the Naval Service particularly as a number of ships are either uncrewed or undergoing maintenance at Verolme Dockyard in Cork.

Those security sources have said that the Irish Sea operation may cause some difficulty to maintain a presence on the south western approaches in regard to illegal fishing and drug interdiction operations.

A source said that as the fishing quotas are coming to an end for the year there is a potential that certain fishers may take the reduced naval presence as an opportunity to increase their hauls.

The Naval Service is set to take delivery of two small patrol ships from New Zealand in the new year and it is anticipated that at least one of those vessels will be based in Dublin.

At the Defence and Foreign Affairs Committee on 6 October, Minister Simon Coveney said that dedicated patrols were being considered to protect the cables.

“The Naval Service, as the State’s principal sea-going agency, is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles.

“While the main daily task of the Naval Service is to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with our obligations as an EU member state, it also carries out a number of other non-fishery related tasks in tandem with maritime surveillance.

“The Air Corps maritime patrol squadron also supports this role, providing aerial assistance to the Naval Service in patrolling the Irish exclusive economic zone, using the two CASA CN 235 maritime patrol aircraft which are equipped with state-of-the-art surveillance and communications equipment,” he said.

European concerns

On 5 October, in Brussels the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that Ireland’s pipelines and undersea cables will be ‘stress tested’ and security stepped up.

She announced a programme of testing to check whether Europe’s critical infrastructure is really secure.

“We don’t have to wait for something to happen. But we need to make sure that we are prepared and therefore we need those stress tests.

“We need to identify whether we have weak points and where these weak points are. And of course, we have to prepare our reaction to sudden disruption,” she said.

A Defence Forces spokesperson said: “Óglaigh na hÉireann does not comment on operational matters.”

A spokesperson for the Minister for Defence has said “The Department has no comment to make”.

Meanwhile the BBC are reporting that communications cables between the British mainland and the Shetland Islands have been cut.

Local police have declared a major incident and an investigation is underway however initial assessments have said it is believed to be accidental.
 
J

JeanCat

Veteran Member
Double_A said:
ETA: Interesting I went back and read comments posted while I was composing mine. With those in contexts the comment I made below about the movie is even more fitting.

Interesting I just flashed on one of my fav movies. Eye of the Needle, Donald Sutherland plays a NAZI spy in WWII, wrecks on a tiny island. Loneliness, lust, life and death drama unfold as Sutherland has to get vital info back to nazis and they try to stop him when they realize who he is.
Click to expand...
Good book!!! Much drama!!!
 
J

JeanCat

Veteran Member
Melodi said:
Between the Faroe Islands and now Shetland, I suspect the Irish Defense forces and others suspect this may be more than just accidents and now the BBC is reporting the latest cable problem was a cut, not a break. So there are attacks going on, they may be starting out small because the smaller island cables are easier to practice on.
www.thejournal.ie

Major operation launched in Irish Sea to protect subsea cables from attacks

It is understood that the mission was ordered after the attacks on the Nordsteam pipelines caused significant disquiet in Government.
www.thejournal.ie www.thejournal.ie
Major operation launched in Irish Sea to protect subsea cables from attacks
It is understood that the mission was ordered after the attacks on the Nordsteam pipelines caused significant disquiet in Government.
56 minutes ago 8,127 Views 16 Comments Share1 Tweet Email
The LÉ Róisín at Roches Point in Cork Harbour. The LÉ Róisín at Roches Point in Cork Harbour.
Image: Alamy Stock Photo
Updated 42 minutes ago

A MAJOR OPERATION has been launched in the Irish Sea by the Defence Forces to prevent and respond to attacks on undersea cables, The Journal has learned.

Sources have said that the mission has been ordered by the Department of Defence and began last week.

It involves the Irish Air Corps and Naval Service with assistance when required from specialist units such as the Army Ranger Wing, military intelligence officers and members of the Communication Information Services Corps.

The aim of the operation is, according to security sources, to “increase presence” in the waters above the cables and pipelines.

It is understood that the attacks on the Nord Steam pipelines in the Baltic has caused significant disquiet in Government and to counter any potential risk to the infrastructure they have deployed the Defence Forces on a dedicated operation.

The Irish Sea pipelines and cables include two natural gas interconnectors which connect Ireland to a supply hub in Scotland.

They come ashore in Loughshinny and Gormanstown on the coastline of Dublin and Co Meath.

There is also an electricity cable running between the Welsh and Irish coastline which is considered under threat.

The Defence Forces began in the last week to monitor the infrastructure with “targeted patrols” with prioritisation given to the gas lines but also the electricity supply.

The patrols by the Naval Service involve at least two vessels and are focused on a so-called overt presence which is to monitor any suspicious ships or activity in the area.

It is hoped that the presence of the Naval Service would deter any would-be attackers from sabotaging the pipeline infrastructure. Sources have said that the operations do not involve a subsea capability.

One key reason for placing the vessels in the area, along with other assets such as the Irish Air Corps on standby, is to respond quickly if an incident happens.

It is also understood that specific orders have been made to have the Army Ranger Wing be used to respond but only if required by commanders.

Intelligence

Sources have said that much of the work of the military teams involved will be focused on information gathered by state intelligence services including the Defence Force’s J2 unit.

Separately there are also orders to monitor activities more broadly in the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone.

Sources have expressed concern that the operation will stretch the Naval Service particularly as a number of ships are either uncrewed or undergoing maintenance at Verolme Dockyard in Cork.

Those security sources have said that the Irish Sea operation may cause some difficulty to maintain a presence on the south western approaches in regard to illegal fishing and drug interdiction operations.

A source said that as the fishing quotas are coming to an end for the year there is a potential that certain fishers may take the reduced naval presence as an opportunity to increase their hauls.

The Naval Service is set to take delivery of two small patrol ships from New Zealand in the new year and it is anticipated that at least one of those vessels will be based in Dublin.

At the Defence and Foreign Affairs Committee on 6 October, Minister Simon Coveney said that dedicated patrols were being considered to protect the cables.

“The Naval Service, as the State’s principal sea-going agency, is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles.

“While the main daily task of the Naval Service is to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with our obligations as an EU member state, it also carries out a number of other non-fishery related tasks in tandem with maritime surveillance.

“The Air Corps maritime patrol squadron also supports this role, providing aerial assistance to the Naval Service in patrolling the Irish exclusive economic zone, using the two CASA CN 235 maritime patrol aircraft which are equipped with state-of-the-art surveillance and communications equipment,” he said.

European concerns

On 5 October, in Brussels the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that Ireland’s pipelines and undersea cables will be ‘stress tested’ and security stepped up.

She announced a programme of testing to check whether Europe’s critical infrastructure is really secure.

“We don’t have to wait for something to happen. But we need to make sure that we are prepared and therefore we need those stress tests.

“We need to identify whether we have weak points and where these weak points are. And of course, we have to prepare our reaction to sudden disruption,” she said.

A Defence Forces spokesperson said: “Óglaigh na hÉireann does not comment on operational matters.”

A spokesperson for the Minister for Defence has said “The Department has no comment to make”.

Meanwhile the BBC are reporting that communications cables between the British mainland and the Shetland Islands have been cut.

Local police have declared a major incident and an investigation is underway however initial assessments have said it is believed to be accidental.
Click to expand...
But, is anybody carrying depth charges. My, but we are advancing steadily with our tit for tat.
 
mzkitty

mzkitty

I give up.
Meanwhile the BBC are reporting that communications cables between the British mainland and the Shetland Islands have been cut.
Local police have declared a major incident and an investigation is underway however initial assessments have said it is believed to be accidental.

*Accidentally* cut? Nah.

:dvl2:
 
M

mostlyharmless

Veteran Member
This is actually two different cuts on two different undersea cables, per the BBC.

www.bbc.com

Damaged cable leaves Shetland cut off from mainland

Police have declared a major incident with phone lines and internet down on the islands.
www.bbc.com

Two cable problems 'rare'​

Ch Insp Mackenzie urged the public not to use phone lines for non-urgent calls and to check on elderly or vulnerable people more frequently as assistance alarms may not be operating effectively.
The cable that was damaged between Faroe and Shetland last week will be repaired on Saturday, according to Faroese Telecom's head of infrastructure Páll Vesturbú.

He said: "The damage is affecting most of telecom services to Shetland. There are some services still working but we will try to establish more services during the day if that's possible.
"We expect it will be fishing vessels that damaged the cable but it is very rare that we have two problems at the same time."

MP Alistair Carmichael added that the damage had caused "catastrophic impact".

He said: "Communication is critical to modern life, to business, to the emergency services and education - just about every aspect of modern life.

"It's like somebody has flipped a switch and taken us back 20 or 30 years. You live in an island community, you know sometimes these things happen and that's why we have to learn the lessons from this."
 
M

mostlyharmless

Veteran Member
Two cables at the same time? How unfortunate .... just like what happened with the gas pipelines. Very very unfortunate bad luck, gotta be.

... or ...

Perhaps this is a dry run to see how big of a trawler it will take to hook the big cables that cross the Atlantic, how long it takes to restore service, how people react to losing their communications with the outside world and ability to conduct commerce.

Did you know there were at least one, perhaps two known dry runs of the 9/11 attack? Seems both flights involved Los Angeles -> US East coast, just like the ones on 9/11. Both Rob Lowe and James Woods reported seeing very unusual things in the days and weeks leading up to 9/11.

www.nbcnews.com

Rob Lowe flew on 9/11 hijackers' dry run flight

www.nbcnews.com www.nbcnews.com

kiss1023.iheart.com

WATCH: Actor James Woods Was On Rehearsal Flight With The 9/11 Terrorists | KISS 102-3 | Terry O'Donnell

It was one month before the attacks
kiss1023.iheart.com kiss1023.iheart.com

I'd be willing to bet worthless FRNs this is a bit more than an accident.... but, given how crazy everything really is... I also wouldn't be terribly surprised if aliens shot out of Joe Biden's backside on live TV.
 
D

Dumb Blonde

Contributing Member
Given the Russian tactics in Ukraine, and the "accidental" damage to so many submarine cables/pipes around the world recently, I think it prudent to be at least semi self sufficient at this time. Thank the gods that Australia is coming into summer and our growing season is in full swing.
 
Melodi

Melodi

Disaster Cat
As others have said, not only are the US and other Western Listening Stations on these Island but especially the Faroe Islands are close to Denmark and used to belong to Denmark (and some people who live there think it still should be).

So while they have relatively small populations, keeping their communications grid up is important to some Western Militaries as well as to the people who live there.

The reports on "break" or "cut" are all over the map but those "in charge" (as much as anyone is in the UK right now) are taking it very seriously. Ireland has started sea patrols near their cables. and a lot of folks are getting nervous.

Personally, I think this is likely a human-caused event and it may be "practice" for trying to cut off the main Atlantic internet/communications cables that cross the Atlantic. That would shut down a large portion of the civilian internet and leave places like banks and governments relying on space-based internet services at least for a time (which I suspect would force governments to severely limit civilian traffic at least between North America and Europe).
 
Dollar Short

Dollar Short

Veteran Member
Melodi said:
Personally, I think this is likely a human-caused event and it may be "practice" for trying to cut off the main Atlantic internet/communications cables that cross the Atlantic. That would shut down a large portion of the civilian internet and leave places like banks and governments relying on space-based internet services at least for a time (which I suspect would force governments to severely limit civilian traffic at least between North America and Europe).
Click to expand...
...and the problem with space-based internet is that Russia, China or any other nation that can orbit a satellite can also detonate a killer satellite or nuke in orbit and severely (or completely) disable and/or destroy our satellites.

Here is an article from 2006 about the threat:
Risks of satellite attack
 
W

WalknTrot

Veteran Member
And as always, thanks Melodi, Marth, and the rest of the crew across the pond for keeping everybody informed.
I usually check in to the Beeb, Guardian, etc. (the free UK news sites with no paywall!) a couple times/day to see what's up over there, but even stories like this one - don't get much ink in the mainstream.
 
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