Slowdowns and cuts in internet access were reported this Wednesday morning in several major French cities, after acts of vandalism that affected the fiber optic network.
During the night, at least three fiber optic link breaks were reported a few tens of minutes apart, reports the specialized site Numerama.
Sectioned pipes
The Ministry of the Economy confirmed to AFP that it had been informed of the problem of “cut pipes” which could correspond to acts of vandalism, while the operator Free, largely affected, reported on Twitter “multiple acts of malicious attacks” on the fiber infrastructure that occurred during the night and are now “limited”.
According to The Parisianunderground cables were cut in Fresnes-en-Woëvre (Meuse), Meaux and Souppes-sur-Loing (Seine-et-Marne) and Le Coudray-Montceaux (Essonne).
Cities such as Strasbourg, Besançon, Lyon and Grenoble were particularly affected by these cuts.
The Zone ADSL site has recorded 9,156 breakdowns on the fixed Internet in the past 24 hours, mainly disturbing the customers of the operator Free and to a lesser extent SFR. “Three of the four arteries of Free”, called “backbone” and which constitute “the backbone of their network have been vandalized”, indicated other sources.
The operator Bouygues Telecom, which “does not use the links affected by these malfunctions” was not affected, however, nor was the French telecom giant Orange, each of the two companies indicated.
In Strasbourg, the breakdown began to be spotted on the Free network around 3:30 a.m. this morning, according to The latest news from Alsaceand was being solved around 10:30 a.m.