Just hours after the glittering opening ceremony for the Summer Olympic Games was held in Paris, came reports of fibre optic cables being vandalised in at least six different locations across France including the coastal city of Marseille that is hosting the Olympic sailing competition. Installations belonging to SFR, Free, and Bouygues Telecom, were reportedly targeted in the overnight attack.
SFR installations were attacked in Hérault, Bouches-du-Rhône, Oise, Meuse, Drôme and Aude, affecting at least 10,000 fixed line customers. Free also noted incidents in Marne and Vaucluse. The attacks suspected of being acts of “sabotage” took place between 1 A.M. and 3 A.M. CET on the intervening night between Sunday and Monday.
Nicolas Chatin, spokesman for SFR, one of France’s four biggest operators told Agence France-Presse (AFP), “It’s vandalism,” adding, “Large sections of cables were cut. You would have to use an axe or a grinder.”
French Secretary of State for Digital Affairs Marina Ferrari confirmed the acts of vandalism carried out on Sunday night via a post on X (formerly Twitter) saying, “Damages committed in several departments last night affected our telecommunications operators. They have localized consequences on access to fiber, fixed telephony and mobile telephony.” She further said that under her supervision, the Center for Defense Electronic Communications was cooperating with operators until communications and services are fully restored.
Netblocks, that tracks internet outages, posted a graph on X that showed multiple internet service disruptions.
First trains, now cables?
The incident comes just three days after an overnight coordinated attack on high-speed rail networks across France. Le Monde reported that fibre optic cables running near the tracks and ensuring the transmission of safety information for drivers, such as signalling lights and points, were cut and set on fire in the attacks on three of the main high-speed TGV lines, in the west, north and east of France.
The rail attacks took place between 01:00 and 05:30 on Friday, and disrupted travel for as many as 800,000 people over the weekend. Jean-Pierre Farandou, head of France’s state-owned rail company SNFC reportedly called the attack “premeditated, calculated, co-ordinated”.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin suspects ultra-left groups were involved, and told France 2 TV that 50 drones, 250 rail security agents and 1,000 maintenance workers were deployed to tighten security along the 28,000-kilometer (17,400-mile) high-speed train network. One man was arrested on Monday in connection with the rail attacks.
Rail services have been restored as of Monday.