Unknown persons have damaged fibre-optic networks in parts of France overnight, but Paris, where the summer Olympics is currently being held, was not affected, French media reported on Monday.
Six of France’s 101 administrative regions were hit, according to the reports.
France’s acting Secretary of State for Digital Affairs Marina Ferrari, in a post on Monday on X, said the damage affected local access to cable, landline and mobile services. Efforts are being made to fully restore the services, she said.
“I condemn these cowardly and irresponsible acts in the strongest terms,” Ferrari wrote.
The newspaper Le Parisien reported that the providers Bouygues, Free, and SFR are affected. SFR reported vandalism in the six areas between 1 am (2300 GMT on Sunday) and 3 am. Cables were cut. This impacted both the landline and mobile networks, including those of foreign providers using the SFR network.
According to the newspaper, it is still unclear how many people are affected by the incident. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the damage.
Just last Friday, unknown persons carried out attacks on the network of the French railway company SNCF, causing massive disruptions to train traffic shortly before the opening of the Olympic Games in Paris.
It is currently unclear if there is a connection between the new incident and the railway attack.
