Speaking on Around Orkney, Faroese Telecom managing director Páll Vesturbú said the location of the repair is affecting how long it will take to restore services.
“We have contacted the company that does the repair for us so they are preparing. Since it’s so close to the shore [there] needs to be some extra work, some extra preparation to make sure that everything is ready when the vessel arrives,” he said.
“So that has stayed off the repair just now. I hope it can be no more than a week but it’s a bit difficult to say.”
Writing on social media, the Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael said: “I have contacted the various telecommunications companies operating in the isles to understand better what sort of issues are at play and who is affected.
“We have to hope that the disruption will be minimal and short-lived.
“Even so, this will be a good test of whether the promises of more responsive communications from telecoms providers following the problems in the summer will be borne out in reality.”
Talk Talk said it was providing its customers with updates.