The engineers solved a mystery that left the villagers with broadband woes for 18 months.

The connection might be poor along with the slow speeds from 07:00, causing problems for families trying to connect to the internet.

Openreach engineers replaced cables at Aberhosan, Powys, but it didn’t fix the problem so they had to think again.

Then they switched to a monitor and found that the fault was caused by electrical interference from the TV used in the home.

Openreach said the owner, who did not want to be identified, was “panicked” to find out that his old TV was causing the problem.

“They immediately agreed to switch it off and not use it again,” said engineer Michael Jones.

Engineers roamed around the village with a screen called a spectrum analyzer to try to find any “electrical noise” to help identify the problem.

“At seven in the morning, like an hour, it happened,” said Mr. Jones.

“Our devices are picking up a big burst of electrical interference in the village.

“It turns out that at 7 am every morning, the inhabitant is turning on his old TV, which in turn will eliminate broadband for the entire village.”

The TV has been detected to emit high level impulse noise (SHINE), which is causing electrical interference to other devices.

Mr. Jones said the problem had not returned since the bug was identified.

What can cause broadband problems?

Susan Rutherford, Openreach chief engineer in Wales, said anything with electrical components – from outdoor lights to microwaves – can have an impact on broadband communications.

“We only advise the public to ensure that their electrical appliances are properly certified and meet current British standards,” she said.

“And if you have an error, report it to your service provider in the first place so we can investigate.”