Many of the islands’ inhabitants cannot use their phones and lack connectivity. Some British media describe it as the islands being completely disconnected from the mainland.
According to telecoms giant BT, the problems may persist until at least Saturday, the Shetland Times reports.
The police describe it as a special incident.
“In an emergency, you can try to call 999 (equivalent to 112) even if you have no coverage,” the police write on Twitter.
— Police officers are patrolling in vehicles and on foot and we are working with partners to make additional resources available. I would like to ask the relatives and neighbors of elderly and vulnerable people to check on them regularly, says police chief David Ross to the television channel STV.
Shops and restaurants are said not to be able to accept card payments.
A cable running between the Shetland Islands and the Faroe Islands is currently being repaired after it broke last week.
About 23,000 people live in the Shetland Islands, which are located in the sea northeast of Great Britain.