Stowmarket neighbours furious over lost internet connection

Angry residents have slammed a telecommunications company after being left without an internet connection for a month.

The residents, who live in hamlet around One House Hall, Stowmarket, say they tried “everything possible” to get their broadband fixed without success.

Fifteen households, including a retired teacher, an NHS worker, a solicitor, an accountants clerk, were knocked offline on October 7. For the past week, they also had no phone line.

“We all phoned our different internet service providers who said it was a problem with the fast fibre cable, and that is the responsibility of Openreach,” said David Bailey, 73, a retired teacher.

Openreach just made excuses, so much so I wrote to our MP and their managing director.

“It caused us no end of hardship. I was unable to keep in touch with my children in London, with things like Facetime, another neighbour who works for the NHS with responsibility for Covid was not able to work properly. Another, who works on accounts, had to go to a friend’s house. They were tearing their hair out.”

Nicola Nutman, a property solicitor, says she racked up "sizeable bills" linking to the internet through her mobile phone.

“It’s been a very difficult time and even embarrassing when you try to have a Zoom conference using mobile connection, and lose it.

“We also have two teenage sons who obviously got frustrated.

I had to go into the office to work. It is Covid-safe but it increases the head count and unnecessary if our broadband had been working.

The neighbours were told that some of the delay was down to Anglian Water working in the area.

Mr Bailey, added: “They were here for nine days and Openreach had a month.”

A spokesman for Openreach, said: “We’re really sorry this work took longer than planned.

"This was due to other utility work taking place in the area, which slowed things down. Our engineers needed to set up temporary traffic lights to keep themselves and other road users safe, to enable them to repair a faulty fibre cable which was disrupting service to around 15 local houses."

The neighbours regained their internet and phone connection last Thursday, but will be seeking compensation.

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