Repairman's vacation keeps Swedish town off the internet

Published: 29 Dec 09 10:36 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/24100/20091229/

An internet technician’s holiday travels have left a remote mountain village in northern Sweden cut off from the internet, causing a dent in the town’s winter tourism bookings.

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The roughly 160 residents of Ammarnäs in Sweden’s far north have been without internet services since before Christmas Eve.

And they won’t likely be able to get back online until January 11th when the town’s only repairman returns from vacation.

The disruption in internet service has frustrated many local tourist operators, who, along with reindeer herders, represent the lifeblood of the area economy.

“Several hunters from abroad have called and asked why they can’t book spots in Ammarnäs,” tour operator Anne Kathrine Ödegård told the Västerbottens-Kuriren newspaper.

She and several other business owners have both their telephone and booking systems connected to the internet and are concerned about not being able to maintain contact with their clients.

Municipal officials said on Monday that they have entered into negotiations with Telia in order to connect the town to the telecom operator’s network.

Ammarnäs town head Göran Wikström promised on Monday that residents would be connected to the internet “as soon as practically possible”.

TT/David Landes (news@thelocal.se)

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12:20 December 29, 2009 by sherkovic

I am sure there is much more of sort to come up!

I needed to order an 'antibody' on 28th dec, monday right after the christmas and it appeared that the whole company in stockholm has gone off for vacations till 4th Jan and there is no one to take and proceed our order....

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13:08 December 29, 2009 by Beynch

How in God's name did the people of Ammarnäs manage only a few years ago when we did not have the Internet? I was there in 1988. There was no Interenet then.

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13:09 December 29, 2009 by Keith #5083

well my dentist in Bengtsfors and his team came in to handle 'urgent' patients yesterday - and fixed my broken crown that happened Christmas week. However, the Nibe expert managed to leave us with a malfunctioning 5 year old berg-Varmepump for the last 6 weeks. So we have had to use just electric - not funny when we're already down to -11 C and still falling (together with 9 guests). But to be without internet - WOW! I would never survive.....!?!

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13:15 December 29, 2009 by calebian22

I wonder if the there will be a cost reduction on their bill for this month? One or two days without service is a fact of life when it comes to service maintenance, but half a month is a bit ridiculous, especially when the delay has nothing to do with the weather.

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15:31 December 29, 2009 by Redbee

At least the animals will spend christmas avoiding death and injury from hunters guns .

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14:44 December 30, 2009 by Steved

Maybe next year they will have a backup available who is not away on holiday? Just make sure their only form of communication is not by email!

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23:31 December 30, 2009 by eZee.se

@Redbee, exactly my thought when reading this.

They should enjoy one extra christmas or new year... at least!

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