Telecommunication Lines Vandalised in France Amid Paris Olympics 2024

New Delhi, India: As cities around France host events for the Paris Olympics 2024, the French government Monday informed that multiple telecommunication lines have been hit by acts of vandalism. The vandalism has affected fiber lines and mobile phone lines. 

“Damages committed in several departments last night affected our telecommunications operators. They have localized consequences on access to fiber, fixed telephony and mobile telephony. Under my supervision, the Center for Defense Electronic Communications cooperates with operators until communications and services are fully restored. I condemn in the strongest terms these cowardly and irresponsible acts. Thank you to the teams mobilized this morning to carry out repairs and restore damaged sites to service,” wrote Marina Ferrari, secretary of state in charge of digital affairs on X. 

The scale of the impact is unclear, as is whether it has affected any Olympic activities. The vandalism came after a Rson attacks hit train networks around France on Friday, hours before the Olympics opening ceremony.

Paris 2024 Olympics organizers would not immediately comment.

A French police official said at least six of France’s administrative departments were affected, which include the region around the Mediterranean city of Marseille, hosting Olympic soccer and sailing competitions.

Telecom operators Bouygues and Free confirmed their services were affected. French media reports said lines operated by provider SFR also were hit. The parent company of Free said its teams are mobilized to restore services.

Arson attacks disrupting train networks 

A national investigation is underway into last week's train sabotage, which disrupted travel for nearly a million passengers in France as well as people in London and in other neighboring countries. Train traffic had largely resumed by Monday.

French media reported that an extreme-left activist was arrested at a rail facility on Sunday in the Seine-Maritime region of western France. But the Paris prosecutor’s office said it was unconnected to what happened Friday and that no one has been arrested so far in the national investigation into the arson attacks.