French fibre optic networks were destroyed in six regions

Unknown assailants sabotaged a significant portion of France's fibre optic network last night.

Police sources said the saboteurs wanted to disconnect the fibre optic networks of several providers, including Free and SFR, in six regions of France. According to the same sources, the regions in question are Bouches-du-Rhône, Oude, Oise, Herault, Meuse and Drôme. There is currently no indication that Paris or the island of France, where the Olympic Games are taking place, have been affected.

Last night's action is another act of sabotage against France, confirming the fears of the French authorities and justifying the increased vigilance and excessive security of the Olympic Games. However, due to the sabotage, the speed of these networks is incredibly low, as Marina Ferrari reported on her X account.

Des dégradations commises dans plusieurs départements cette nuit ont affecté nos opérateurs de telecommunications.

Elles ont des conséquences, localisées, sur l'accès à la fibre, la téléphonie fixe et la téléphonie mobile.

Sous ma supervision, le center pour les communications…

— Marina Ferrari (@Marina_Ferrari) July 29, 2024

The damage that occurred last night in several departments affected our telecom operators, locally impacting access to fibre, landline and mobile phone services. Under my leadership, the Defense Electronic Communications Center is working with operators until communications and services are fully restored. I condemn these cowardly and irresponsible actions in the strongest possible terms. I would like to thank the teams that were mobilized this morning to carry out repairs and restore communications at the damaged facilities.

According to French media, damage was recorded in six of 101 French departments, while Paris, where the Olympic Games are taking place, was not damaged. In the south of France, in the departments of Oise near Paris and Meuse near the border with Luxembourg, cables were cut on Monday night, installations belonging to French telecommunications companies SFR, Free and Bouygues Telecom were vandalized, Le Parisien newspaper and BFM TV channel reported. The extent of the damage is still unknown, an investigation has been launched. At the same time, it is not yet clear whether there is a connection between the new incidents and the sabotage on the railway committed three days ago.

Meanwhile, French authorities suspect attacks on high-speed railways that took place on the opening day Olympics July 26, representatives of left-wing extremist forces. “We have identified profiles of several people”“, – said the head of the French Interior Ministry Gerald Darmanin on the air of the France 2 television channel. According to him, the criminals' actions indicate that they belong to ultra-left groups.

Meanwhile, rail transport in France has resumed in full, Transport Minister Patrice Vergriet told RTL. All trains are running as usual. It is noted that 800,000 passengers suffered from the sabotage on the railway.

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