Why repairs sometimes take longer

An increasing number of Telia customers are moving away from the copper network in favour of services delivered over fibre and mobile networks, which offer higher bandwidth and greater reliability. Telia is therefore gradually transitioning from copper‑based services to services delivered via fibre and mobile infrastructure. As a result, we are phasing out parts of the copper network that no longer meet today’s market needs.

What affects repair time?

The most important factor that determines how long a repair will take is the location of the fault in the telephone network. Different parts of the network have different characteristics, which affects how quickly a technician can identify and resolve the problem.

How the telephone network is structured

Each subscriber has an individual cable pair running from the telephone exchange all the way to the wall socket in the home or premises. For much of this distance, the cable pair runs inside a larger cable that also carries many other subscribers’ connections. Primary and secondary cables typically contain anywhere from 10 to 1200 subscribers, depending on geography and the density of the network. The final part of the network — known as the distribution network — normally carries only individual subscribers’ cable pairs.

Faults that occur closer to the subscriber, often within the distribution network, can usually be repaired more quickly. If the fault occurs in parts of the network where many subscribers share the same cable, repairs may require more extensive work, such as excavation. This results in longer repair times, especially in the primary and secondary cable segments.

Additional factors that may cause delays

During periods of heavy thunderstorms in the summer, lightning strikes can damage the telephone network in several locations simultaneously. Even though our technicians work continuously during these periods, natural events can cause widespread disruptions that take time to resolve.In cases where repairs require digging, we may need to wait for excavation permits from landowners. If the faulty cables run under roads or railway tracks, we may also need permits or assistance from authorities such as the police or the rail administration to temporarily stop traffic while the repair work is carried out.

Why we cannot always move your services to another cable

When possible, we always try to move services to another functioning cable pair to restore service as quickly as we can. In larger cables with several pairs, we attempt to identify free or undamaged pairs that can be used. However, this is not always possible depending on the extent of the damage.

How you will be informed about extended repair times

If we cannot resolve the fault within the timeframe you were originally given when you reported it, we will notify you by SMS. The message will include a new estimated date for when your services are expected to function again.

When faults in the copper network will not be repaired

In some circumstances, we are unable to repair faults in the copper network. This may occur when the fault is located in a part of the network that is scheduled for shutdown, or if the cable is so severely damaged that repairing it would require a complete cable replacement at an unreasonably high cost. In these situations, we are forced to immediately terminate the affected service or services. If this happens, the following applies:

Accesses that have been fault‑reported are terminated with a one‑month notice period. Accesses that have not been fault‑reported but are confirmed faulty through testing are also terminated with a one‑month notice period. Accesses that are still active and functioning but located in the same cable as the identified fault are terminated with a three‑month notice period.